Save the date for 4 virtual local unit meetings for WSNA members on December 4 and 5.

Wednesday Dec 4 530 pm and 730 pm
Thursday Dec 5 530 pm and 730 pm

Join at a date and time that works best with your schedule with the same link:

Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 275 536 107 452
Passcode: gX2RU3pk

Dial in by phone
+1 206-485-2614,597209995# United States, Seattle
(888) 313-0615,597209995# United States (Toll-free)

Conference Committee: As an important part of their role to bring the nurses’ issues to the employer every month, your union officers have been discussing several issues at the Conference Committee, highlights below:

Break Relief Role

Do you always get all your rest and meal breaks? Yes?  Awesome! If not, it takes just seconds to attest honestly, accurately when you clock out. Aligning with the staffing and rest break laws, and your WSNA contract, we have sought information to ensure nurses are getting breaks. We will continue encouraging nurses to communicate with the charge nurse if you are having challenges getting breaks and attesting accurately when you clock out. Why? Nurses regularly communicate with local unit leaders and WSNA staff and submit ADO’s that the break relief is not consistent, when break nurses are pulled into assignments, when ‘break buddies’ seem too much to ask of peers, as some examples.

Since July 2024, the employer is legally required to report to the state regarding missed rest and meal breaks on a quarterly basis. See link below. The first report submitted by the employer in October appears to show a high compliance rate. While it is encouraging to learn this, we are curious about how specific the data is because RNs are not carved out as a specific group. We have requested this information and will update you.

Nurses have many reasons they do not clock missed breaks which you may find very familiar: Fear of reprisal by management, just trying to get through the shift safely and too worn out to do ‘one more thing….’, not receiving all rest and meal breaks consistently has become an unfortunate habit, pride in one’s ability to not ‘need’ breaks, hesitancy to ask peers to take on a larger assignment while assuming care for your patient load, inability of peers to safely assume covering your break due to the demands of their own assignment, unit ‘culture’ that is long-standing, and the most worrisome one is actual discouragement, admonition around clocking missed breaks or filing ADO’s for staffing concerns that includes missed breaks. See link below.

Remember, rights that are not exercised do not help the nurses, patients or the organization, and erode a sense of well-being and safety over time. Your WSNA officers and staff cannot stress this enough:Attest accurately regarding breaks every time you clock out. The goal is to experience truly improved working conditions that promote your well-being and patient care. Nurses working conditions are patient’s healing conditions. Remember…. float, break relief and charge nurses are equally entitled to breaks! We have the law. We have the contract. Now, we need the collective you to attest accurately. If nothing changes, nothing changes. 

We have pending requests regarding the implementation of the break relief role in all units, to enforce the strong language won in article 10.7.1 of your union contract. Link below. Please note that this topic has been and will continue to be a topic at the Hospital Staffing Committee every month, as well.

Body cams are active/Taser implementation scheduled to launch in December:

The employer communicated that the body cams are in use by security, following policy that defines the criteria for use. We’ve had several conversations this year about our concerns with the future planned use of tasers by trained OMC security officers (as last resort to deescalate violence). The employer shared there are now policies related to these practices and a FAQ on your myOverlake page. We have requested these policies and the FAQ. As suggested before, if you have health concerns about the risk of injury related to tasing, consult your provider. If you have questions or concerns about these practices for yourself, coworkers, patients, and visitors, please reach out to HR. We understand that communications and training are forthcoming for employees, as well as new signage for the patients and visitors. The Safety and Workplace Violence Prevention committee includes staff nurses participating every month, though it is not a WSNA-specific committee. If you are interested in learning about what this committee is working on, consult your manager or HR to learn how to access their minutes at Overlake (OMC). You have a right to a safe workplace, free from hazards by law and per your union contract. While it is encouraging to see the employer’s efforts and attention to safety and security, these practices demonstrate a change in working conditions and are a mandatory subject of collective bargaining. We will update you when we have more information on this point.

Privacy concerns…. A WIN!

Following some months of raising this issue with OMC, we have received notice from the employer that the privacy concern we have raised has a positive outcome 😊 Though the employer has the responsibility to conduct business that includes investigation around communicable illnesses of employees, they communicated that they have stopped the practice of identifying employees by name in association with a diagnosis. Prior to this, OMC practice allowed for sharing private health information of employees with their coworkers in this process. OMC willingness to work with WSNA on this important matter is deeply appreciated. Cessation of this practice by the employer is incredibly gratifying to protect your private health information, which is paramount to your WSNA officers and staff! The employer has committed to informing WSNA if they intend to restart this concerning practice. Make no mistake, a harm to one is a harm to all. Nurses are encouraged to notify us if this practice begins again.

Questions about this update? Contact a local unit officer or your Nurse Representative

To access local unit officers and your contract:
https://www.wsna.org/union/overlake-hospital-medical-center

Submit staffing concerns quick and easy on your phone, including missed breaks
 https://www.wsna.org/union/ado

Regulatory Code of Washington rest and meal breaks
https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=49.12.480

In solidarity,

Tara Barnes tbarnes@wsna.org