We have reached a tentative agreement on an extension of our contract

Your Negotiation Team thanks all members who were able to attend our local unit membership meeting on Nov. 18. The team appreciated the opportunity to hear your feedback regarding the hospital’s current financial situation. Based on the realities that we all see, your team does not believe that entering into a long-term contract negotiated during this period of economic distress is in the best interest of WSNA nurses here at the hospital. Therefore, your team proposed a 1-year extension of our current contract. The hospital has accepted our proposal.

What This Means:

• There will be no across the board wage increases during this extension. Please note: nurses who are eligible for annual step increases will still receive those increases on the nurse’s anniversary date.
• With the following exceptions, all provisions of the current contract remain in place. The hospital’s proposed takeaways to sick leave, vacation leave and mandatory call are off the table.
• Updates to the membership language in the contract to comply with current law. The hospital agrees to remain neutral regarding the decision of a nurse to join WSNA.
• New language stating that a newly appointed charge nurse, along with the orienting nurse and the department director, will determine when the charge nurse has been sufficiently oriented.
• The hospital will be required to grant a newly hired nurse 30 minutes of paid time to meet with representatives of WSNA.
• Effective 7/1/21, nurses who accept overtime beyond a 12-hour shift will have the option to take 8 consecutive hours off before the next shift.
• Nurses who apply for a new position must indicate their interest to the Department Director in addition to the Human Resources office.
• No intermittent rest breaks. Nurses will be entitled to 15 uninterrupted minutes in each 4 hour period of work.

Assuming ratification of this agreement, the contract will remain in effect until 10/31/20. Your team will begin preparations for the negotiation of the next contract late next summer.

Your Negotiation Team recommends a Yes vote. While extending a contract without a raise is not ideal, the team believes it is the best scenario under the current conditions.

Your Negotiation Team: Jason Kindle, Kala Winter, Bunni Schave, Jennifer Reynolds, Jayme Garrison, Michelle Phillips, Rachel Stum

The VOTE to ratify this contract will occur on:
Jan. 9, 2020

in Conference Room C from 6 to 8 a.m.
and Conference Room A from 6 to 8 p.m.

You must be a WSNA Member in good standing
to vote on the contract.

Did you know that ADO (Assignment Despite Objection) forms are now online?

If you find yourself in a situation that you believe creates unsafe conditions for patients or for you, complete the Staffing Complaint / ADO form as soon as possible. Completion of ADO forms are vital in ensuring that your unit has appropriate staffing and is a safe place to work! We have seen an increase in ADO filings recently. At the same time, we know that many of you are experiencing unsafe conditions that need to be documented.
By completing the form, you are helping to make the problem known to management, which creates an opportunity for the problem to be addressed. In addition, you are documenting the facts, which may be helpful to you later if there is a negative outcome.
It only takes a couple of minutes to complete a form. Go to https://www.wsna.org/union/ado for more information!

Additionally, we need nurses to advocate for safe staffing by being on the staffing committee. All time spend doing the work of the committee is PAID TIME. If you are interested in being a representative to the nurse staffing committee from your unit please contact Bunni Schave or Travis Elmore, WSNA Nurse Representative!

YOU ARE WSNA!!!
Travis Elmore, WSNA Nurse Representative at 206-575-7979, ext. 3117 or telmore@wsna.org