This is the statement from MultiCare today:

COVID-19 vaccine requirement

• The Washington State Hospital Association has recommended that health care organizations require COVID-19 vaccinations for staff, out of concern over rapidly rising cases and hospitalizations in our state.
• Our highest priority is the safety of our patients, staff and communities, and our mission, vision and values give us a responsibility to ensure that all are well cared for. Vaccines are one of the safest, most powerful ways to protect ourselves and our patients from disease.
• We will require vaccines for all MultiCare staff in the coming weeks. We are putting processes and resources in place to support the program and will share more information soon.

You can read more about the situation in this linked article from the Tacoma News Tribune: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/coronavirus/article253207063.html.

WSNA position

WSNA understands that MultiCare has communicated to staff that a COVID vaccine mandate is forthcoming. The union has yet to be notified and will look forward to discussions with the employer on strategies to protect our nurses and patients. WE WILL DEMAND TO BARGAIN ON CHANGES TO OUR MEMBERS’ WORKING CONDITIONS.

WSNA is committed to the health and safety of our nurses as well as other front­line caregivers, our families, patients, and commu­ni­ties. In keeping with this commit­ment, WSNA strongly recom­mends that all nurses and other health care providers be vacci­nated against the SARS-CoV‑2 (COVID-19) virus. WSNA supports and urges volun­tary efforts that aim for 100% vacci­na­tion rates, including educa­tion and imple­men­ta­tion of compre­hen­sive COVID-19 vacci­na­tion programs for all health care workers. WSNA is committed to educating our members and the public about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vacci­na­tions. We encourage all unvac­ci­nated people to talk with their health care provider about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Nurses have a profes­sional respon­si­bility and an ethical duty to protect patients at all levels — as individ­uals, families, groups, commu­ni­ties, and popula­tions. Vacci­na­tions are recog­nized as an impor­tant measure in the history and protec­tion of public health, and nurses are encour­aged to consider vacci­na­tion for self-protec­tion and the protec­tion of the patients and commu­ni­ties served. All current avail­able data indicates that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effec­tive. Local public health juris­dic­tions and health care providers are avail­able to discuss individual circum­stances related to COVID-19 vaccination.

WSNA supports and expects enforce­ment of existing federal and state regula­tions including Governor-issued procla­ma­tions and all public health direc­tives. All employers must meet the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Occupa­tional Health and Safety Admin­is­tra­tion (OSHA), Washington State Depart­ment of Labor & Indus­tries and Washington State Depart­ment of Health require­ments to combat COVID-19. In addition, employers must comply with all laws including the Ameri­cans with Disabil­i­ties Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, providing reason­able accom­mo­da­tion unless this would pose undue hardship as defined by the law.

Feel free to share your comments and concerns with your WSNA Nurse Representative Janet Stewart. She can be reached by email at Jstewart@wsna.org.