Monday, March 10, 2025, was our 14th bargaining session. We left our last meeting having given the employer a comprehensive proposal with the sum of our outstanding proposals as well as all of the tentative agreements we have achieved. Additionally, we made a package proposal that brought together all of our holiday and vacation proposals as well as some topics that are important to the employer.

Unfortunately, they outright rejected our vacation and holiday package without a counter proposal.

They did however give us a package that would have nurses abandon critical proposals while offering little in return.

Their package proposal included language that did not address nurses’ concerns:

• Incentive pay MOU language that does not protect against sick time (but only looks at the week the incentive was accepted, not the pay period). Gets rid of lump sum incentives (incentive and special incentive), and does not include our substitute of 2x pay instead of those lump sums.
• They did offer to accept WSNA’s proposed language on break relief nurses.

Their package proposal included the following rejections that we view as only benefiting the employer

• Rejecting our vacation language which would ensure a minimum number of vacation spots per unit per shift, as well as an increase in vacation spots during prime time.
• Rejecting our current and improved contract language for the Nurse Staffing Committee.
• Rejecting our proposal for a 10 year look back to adjust nurses to what their step would be if they had been credited 1 step per year for the last 10 years.

Vacation Allotments

One of the statements that stood out to the WSNA bargaining team when discussing vacation allotments was:

“We believe our current policy is adequate. We currently allow at least 1 nurse off per day per 8-12 hour shift.”

Just to be clear, their statement means they offer the absolute minimum possible vacation spots. 

We emphasized that we are not asking for more hours for vacation but simply a mechanism for ensuring nurses can take vacation when they desire (within a specified minimum number of nurses allowed off per day per shift). They responded with a vacation scheme that was more detrimental to nurses instead of opening more spots for nurses to take vacation on every shift.

Their main argument was that they do not have enough staff in their departments to allow for more vacation spots.

Evergreen Home Care Services (EHCS) wins

We have a Tentative agreement on an updated Addendum 1 which includes:

• Clarifying language on what mileage nurses can apply for reimbursement on and how to calculate their mileage from home to their first client and then from their last client to home.
• A fully functioning conference committee that is unique to EHCS that meets quarterly (or more frequently if needed). Topics to be discussed will be brought by both the employer and WSNA nurses. This committee will be on paid time for those attending.

Other Upcoming Events

• Thursday, 3/13 at 8 AM: Bargaining update: “Breakfast with bargainers” on Teams. Come join us on the Teams call to get updates on the most recent session and ask your questions.
  Thursday meeting link
• Next Bargaining Session: 3/17 at 9 AM (or drop in on a break): Join the extended bargaining team in Tan 250 Board room. We anticipate both WSNA and the Employer presenting counter proposals, and hopefully making progress to an agreement.  Please come be part of this important bargaining date.  Even if it’s just dropping in, it makes a huge difference!
• Tuesday, 3/18 at 6:15 PM: Evergreen Board of Commissioners Meeting – meet in the lobby of Tan building, just outside the TAN 250 Board Room. We need you to show up.  We know life is busy, and many people live far away. Please find a way. You and your families need to attend!

Social Media and Upcoming Events

Social media: Keep an eye on social media for updates. If you have something to say and are willing to make a quick video clip, we want to hear from you!

Follow up on Instagram, Facebook, or our web page

https://www.instagram.com/wsna_evergreen/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/evergreenrns

https://www.wsna.org/union/evergreen-healthcare

Check Your Membership Status

Your membership in WSNA builds power and shows you are actively supporting your union and are behind what we are all trying to accomplish.

Online membership form

We cannot slow down! We all need all WSNA nurses to join in and stand up to remind Evergreen that high-quality patient care relies on high-quality nurses. Your participation makes the difference. Together, we are powerful. Together, we will win.

WSNA Wednesdays

Wear your WSNA shirt to work on Wednesday! If you still don't have a shirt, contact unit reps, CAT members, and local unit officers. Better yet, ask your coworkers what sizes they need and help us get shirts to them!

IMPORTANT – if you are told not to wear your T-shirt at work, ask if it would lead to discipline if you don't change into a scrub top. If you are told it would lead to discipline, change into a scrub top, but write down who said that, where you were, and when it happened.  If you see anyone wearing anything but scrub tops in clinical areas, note when and who it was. If, for example, your department had custom t-shirts made and they are worn to work in clinical areas, and you are not allowed to wear a WSNA shirt, take note of it and contact Bret Percival at BPercival@wsna.org or send a brief text to 206-471-0876. (Email is preferred for documentation and tracking.)

In solidarity,

Your Bargaining Team
Theresa Blazer, Holly Baker, Alicia O'Neal, Nikki Paulson, Sandy Gott, Ryan O'Neill Hawkins, Carol Flaming, Jaclyn Miller, Karen Lasota, Lexi Overa

Questions? Contact your WSNA Officers at localofficers@eh-nurses.com