As you know by now, MultiCare plans to begin making deductions from paychecks on March 18 to recover amounts it claims nurses owe for alleged overpayments during the time period when Kronos was down. After multiple requests to push back the March 18 date and negotiate over an alternative, MultiCare refused to stop its plan.

Yesterday afternoon, WSNA, UFCW 3000, and SEIU 1199NW jointly filed a lawsuit in state court to try to stop MultiCare from making these deductions without employees’ consent. The unions believe that MultiCare’s deductions would violate state law. We have asked the court to order MultiCare not to make the deductions and to confirm that the deductions would be unlawful.

There is no guarantee that the court will order MultiCare to stop the deductions before the March 18 deadline. Even if the court does (now or in the future), that will not mean that MultiCare has no right to repayment. It will only mean that it cannot deduct the alleged overpayments from employees’ paychecks without their agreement. Of course, the unions will continue to demand that MultiCare negotiate with us over any repayment plans, as they are required to do.

For many of you, this is not an issue or problem, and we are pleased to hear that. But for many of our members, the numbers just don’t add up. They deserve to receive a logical, itemized explanation for what they are told to pay back.

We will continue to keep you informed about this important issue.

Low Census

Please know your contract regarding Low Census. If given a Low Census Cut, it’s your right to ask, in real time, if you are being low censused properly. If not, notify your charge nurse, manager or supervisor immediately.

6.6.1 Low Census Order. In the event of temporary low census, the Hospital would intend to release nurses in the following order, providing skill, competence, ability and patient continuity are adequate to meet patient care needs:
a. Agency (including system floats)
b. Nurses working in any time and one-half (1 1/2) or double time (2x) pay condition, except when the nurse is working the nurse's regularly scheduled shift or rest between shifts premium (7.8).
c. Volunteers
d. Travelers
e. Per Diems
f. Nurses scheduled above their authorized FTE status on their extra scheduled days.
g. Regular staff in rotation or per diems temporarily filling a designated full-time or part-time position. (Note: The per diem must fill the entire position to be included in the normal rotation of low census with regular staff.)

6.6.2 Low Census and Travelers. If a low census condition arises and a Traveler is present, the Traveler will not be released, but will not be considered when determining the number of regularly scheduled nurses that are necessary for that census condition in the opinion of the Charge Nurse.

Example: The census requires five RNs in the Charge Nurse's opinion. Seven RNs are scheduled, six regularly scheduled nurses and one is a Traveler. Only one regularly scheduled nurse will be low censused because the Traveler is not considered to be working for the purpose of determining how many nurses are working as compared to how many nurses are necessary for the low census condition."

6.6.3 Low Census Rotation. Low census days will be assigned when there are no volunteers. Low census days will be assigned on a rotational basis within a clinical group, as outlined below, and by shift, provided skill, competence and ability are adequate to meet patient care needs. The nurse to be assigned the low census day will be the person within the clinical group and shift that is next on the rotation list. The rotation list will be provided upon request from the scheduler for the appropriate clinical group, and from the Bed Planner after hours.

Read More about Low Census in your Contract MultiCare-Good-Samaritan-Contract-2020-2023_2021-02-26-233038.pdf (wsna.org)

Union Leadership Conference

Don’t miss WSNA’s labor training event at Campbell’s Resort in Chelan April 24 – 26.

Join nurses from around the state as we convene to build stronger local units, become more effective leaders, learn more about the national and state labor scenes, celebrate our successes, and strategize for what’s coming next.

If you are a local unit officer, conference committee member, staffing committee member, safety committee member, unit rep or a member in one of WSNA’s local units who is interested in advocating for nurses and becoming more involved in your union, this conference is for you.

WSNA will continue to monitor and follow public health directives for in-person gatherings and will provide conference registrants with updates on any changes to this event, as well as venue COVID-19 protocols closer to the event date.

Registration $100. Register at WSNA.org

Reserve Room at campbellsresort.com 800-553-8255 Group Code 566194

Scholarships are available from local unit funds on a first come, first served basis. Contact JStewart@wsna.org for more information if interested in receiving reimbursement for registration, room and mileage.