In this issue:

• In memoriam: Martha Galvez
• WSNA’s priorities for the 2022 Legislative Session
• COVID-19 illness
• Become a Local Unit Rep and help keep your unit informed
• Vacations
• Upcoming Events

In memoriam: Martha Galvez

Martha Alicia Cortés Galvez passed away peacefully at home the morning of Jan. 8, 2022, just in time to see her final sunrise, her favorite time of day. A loving mother, wife and friend, she left behind a legacy of compassion and strength.

WSNA’s priorities for the 2022 Legislative Session

On Thursday evening, Jan. 13, we hosted the first of two calls with our Local Unit leaders letting them know that WSNA, through the Washington Safe and Healthy coalition, has introduced legislation – House Bill 1868 and its companion Senate Bill 5751. (Use link button below to read the bills)

These bills would:

• Establish safe staffing standards that will protect nurses from dangerously high patient loads
• Enforce existing overtime and meal and rest break laws
• And invest in workforce development to increase the number of healthcare workers entering the field.

Improving the laws regarding safe staffing is one of WSNA's priorities for the 2022 Legislative Session. Read more about our priorities by using the link button below to open our priorities fact sheet.

COVID-19 illness

There have been a multitude of problems that nurses have faced when they have become sick. Your Local Unit Chair, Meri Bukovinsky and I met with Angela Mager and Kirk Harper during Conference Committee on January 17, 2021. Details of difficulties were provided. If you cannot point to an outside source of your illness, you should be filing an L&I claim under HELSA. The facility and Sedgwick are not the decision maker on this. Only L&I is.

Further information will be provided once we have it. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Meri Bukovinsky or Laurie Robinson.

Become a Local Unit Rep and help keep your unit informed

Are you interested in becoming a Unit Rep?

Unit Rep Responsibilities may include:

1. Updating the Union bulletin boards in your unit
2. Sharing information about union actions and events
3. Bringing forth issues from your unit to the officers or Nurse Rep
4. Sharing information about Negotiations
5. Getting petitions signed
6. Encouraging co-workers to do the WSNA surveys, such as pre-negotiations survey
7. Help distribute union swag to co-workers.
8. Showing people how to file an online ADO Staffing Complaint form and sharing why it is important.
9. Showing people how to find their union contract online.
10. Telling co-workers about their Weingarten rights (rights to union representation for investigatory meetings).

It is imperative that our bargaining unit MUST have representatives for each nursing unit, especially in preparation for the upcoming contract negotiations. Ideally, we would like to see 4 Reps. If you are interested, you will then be invited to attend one 2-hour training session where you acquire the skills and knowledge. A meeting date for Feb. 23 with two meeting times will be sent for those interested.

Questions? Contact Nurse Organizer Ryan Rosenkranz rrozenkranz@wsna.org or 206-867-4627

Vacations

• It is the responsibility of the managers to educate the staff on how to view the POSTED APPROVED VACATION SCHEDULE on each unit. It may be on Teams, paper calendar or some other visual calendar on the unit. This way you can see what time is available for requests off.
• The PRIORITY REQUEST is coming up. (February 1-March 1) this is based on seniority

Upcoming events

https://www.wsna.org/calendar/advocacy-camp-2022/

https://www.wsna.org/calendar/transgender-toolbox-basic-tools-to-provide-optimal-care/

https://www.wsna.org/calendar/union-leadership-conference/

COVID_19 Guidelines on-demand webinar coming soon

For any questions or concerns please contact one of the Officers or Nurse Rep:

Meri Bukovinsky (CDU) Chair
Cell: 208-739-3439 hart.meri@gmail.com
Bethany Reed (PACU) Vice Chair
Cell: 509-873-1117 bdraskovic@aol.com
Vanessa Douglas (ICU) Secretary/Treasurer
Cell: 352-682-0342 vanessa.p.douglas@gmail.com
Yaamen Aldaas (9 RP) Member at Large
Cell: 509-771-0326 yaamen.aldaas@gmail.com
Jillian Martin (ED) Grievance Officer
Cell: 509-308-3751 Blondiejilli@yahoo.com

Laurie Robinson Nurse Representative
Cell: 206-620-4136 lrobinson@wsna.org