We have heard your questions about WSNA’s wage proposals in contract negotiations. This provides more information – we encourage you to come ask additional questions and pick up a blue WSNA T-shirt from 11 am-2 pm on Thursday at the Inspiration Room and from 10 am-2 pm on Friday at the Insight Room in the PACCAR, to wear on Fridays, starting April 12!

WSNA made an initial wage proposal to Overlake (on March 14) as well as a counter-proposal (on April 2) responding to Overlake’s initial proposal (on April 2). WSNA’s proposals aim to reflect several factors, including:

• wages at comparable hospitals (“comps”): Seattle Children’s, Virginia Mason, and Swedish First Hill, all of which are located in Seattle
• the high cost of housing – both homes and rentals – in Bellevue, even compared to nearby Seattle
• the cost of commuting (58% of Overlake WSNA nurses live outside Bellevue, Seattle, Kirkland, Newcastle, Mercer Island, Redmond, Issaquah, and Sammamish; nurses live in places like Everett, Renton, Bothell, Lynwood, and Kent)

With our initial wage proposal on March 14, we presented data showing that Overlake is, on average across all steps, 7.1% behind the averages of Swedish, Seattle Children’s, and Virginia Mason. We previously presented, on the first day of negotiations, information on the cost of living in Bellevue and the locations from which Overlake nurses commute. On March 14, WSNA proposed: a 14% across the board increase effective May 2024, a 7% across the board increase effective May 2025, and a 7% across the board increase effective May 2026. We also proposed to eliminate “ghost steps,” instead averaging the year two increase over the first and second years.

On April 2, Overlake countered on wages with an unacceptable proposal, considering the data above: 5% effective on ratification, 4% effective the first full pay period one year after ratification, and 3% effective the first full pay period two years after ratification. Overlake’s comps included Seattle Children’s, Virginia Mason, and Swedish First Hill as well as UW, Providence Everett, MultiCare Good Sam, and Evergreen. Seattle Children’s, Virginia Mason, and Swedish First Hill demonstrate the highest Seattle-Bellevue area hospital nurse wages. Prov Everett and Good Sam are not true comps as they are in lower cost-of-living cities (Everett and Puyallup). The Evergreen wages Overlake presented are from 2023, not 2024 so also are not true comps. Further, even using Overlake’s comps, their proposed wages are less than the comps at ten of the higher steps.

In the afternoon on April 2, our team presented a wage counter, which continues to reflect the principles described above:

• a 12% across the board increase effective May 2024
• a 6.5% across the board increase effective May 2025
• a 6.5% across the board increase effective May 2026.

We also provided Overlake with data showing Bellevue home values are significantly above even Seattle home values, and Bellevue rents are also higher than Seattle. We await a counterproposal on wages from Overlake.

While we are not using the CPI index, to provide some context, the BLS 12-month CPI index for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue as of February 2024 was 4.3%. The BLS does not produce a CPI index only for Bellevue. (Note, that same link reveals the 12-month CPI index as of February 2023 was higher, at 8%.) Overlake nurses received a $5 across-the-board increase in January 2023 after a request from WSNA and a contractual increase of 4% in May 2023, totaling an average 13% increase.

Thank you for signing the petition and stickering up on negotiation days. Please remember to continue stickering up – our next three scheduled days are April 18, 23, and 25.

Questions? Contact any negotiation team member or contact your WSNA Nurse Representative Tara Barnes at tbarnes@wsna.org.