International nurse grievance update

Historically, nurses hired at MultiCare with international nursing experience are only credited 1 year on the pay scale for every 2 years of experience (2:1); while nurses from the USA and Canada receive full credit (1:1) for their past nursing experience. As of May 2021, MultiCare has changed its practice and is now crediting qualifying international experience as 1:1. This is great news for new hires; however MultiCare had not agreed to do this for past hires.

WSNA filed a grievance on June 8, 2021 for all affected nurses. After 3 grievance meetings, MultiCare has denied our grievance, but has offered a settlement for affected nurses. So far we are aware of 26 potentially affected nurses. Please help get the word out as this settlement offer is time limited.

If you are an international nurse who has listed relevant international experience of 1 or more years on your application to MultiCare, and didn’t receive full credit, you may request an Internal Equity Review. Note, if you did NOT list your relevant international experience on your application, then this does not apply to you.

It is the responsibility of the employee to submit a request for an equity review with the Employee Resource Center, and that this request must be made within the 30 day timeframe between Nov. 8, 2021 to Dec. 7, 2021. Results of the equity review will be completed within 3 months of receipt of your request. HP will notify you with results of the review. Any resultant change in rate of pay would be on a go-forward basis; meaning backpay was not offered in this settlement. Please do not submit your request to the ERC before Nov. 8.

Questions, contact WSNA Nurse Representative Janet Stewart jstewart@wsna.org

This free event will be held virtu­ally on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 8 – 10 a.m.

Nurses at the bedside know that staffing levels have reached crisis levels due to burnout, moral injury, and hospi­tals’ failure to take action to retain nurses. But even before the pandemic, so many of us were stretched to the limit, forced to take too many patients, and work long shifts without a break.

We need more than a quick fix – we need action to ensure safe staffing now and in the future.

The Cabinet on Economic and General Welfare invites you to join your fellow union nurses across Washington state for WSNA Nurses Unite for Safe Staffing!

At this event you will:

• Learn about WSNA’s efforts in coali­tion with other health care unions to create account­ability with enforce­able laws and staffing standards every hospital must meet.
• Find out how you can take action to achieve safe staffing on every unit, in every hospital in Washington state and ensure that hospi­tals take every avail­able measure to ensure our commu­ni­ties receive the care they deserve.
• Hear from state and national labor leaders about how they are standing behind Washington nurses in our fight for safe staffing.

Featured speakers

• Randi Weingarten, American Feder­a­tion of Teachers (AFT) presi­dent, will discuss national labor support for safe staffing.
• Larry Brown, Washington State Labor Council presi­dent, will share how unions in Washington are working together to win safe staffing.
• April Sims, Washington State Labor Council secre­tary treasurer, will discuss safe staffing through an equity lens.
• David Keepnews, execu­tive director of WSNA, will share research supporting safe staffing and how nurses can leverage it into meaningful action.
• Julia Barcott, chair of WSNA’s Cabinet on Economic and General Welfare, will share WSNA's efforts to protect and advocate for our nurses on the frontlines.

Thank You Good Sam Nurses

Your WSNA Good Samaritan Officers would like to give you an Appreciation Gift to say “Thank You” for your hard work during these difficult times. They will be distributing Yeti Drink Tumblers to you over the next few weeks. We hope you enjoyed the Treat Bins that were delivered to units in early October. Thank you and enjoy!

Thank you,

Janet Stewart, WSNA Nurse Representative jstewart@wsna.org

Your Officers: Cheryll Howe, Melinda Thornton, Stephenie Troftgruben, Aaron Bradley, Dawn Morrell, Anne Landen

Find contact information and past updates in the bars above and below.

Find the on-line ADO Staffing Complaint Form at wsna.org/ado.