Your local unit officers, in partnership with WSNA have come to an agreement on an Incentive Pay LOU (Letter of Understanding). This LOU, like any other part of your collective bargaining agreement is now a part of the contract and is equally enforceable. We consider this a WIN for our Sacred Heart WSNA nurses!

Since the LOU was signed on Friday Aug. 13, many questions have been raised. We took a stab at trying to answer them for you!

My manager has said the new Incentive LOU doesn’t apply to me.

According to the language, under the “Extra Shift Incentive” section, management does have the discretion to determine what units are designated for incentive pay. However, as of Aug. 18, SHMC has decided to open the incentive pay to ALL DEPARTMENTS. This is a huge win!

In addition to this, any and all IRC texts ARE incentive eligible. Therefore, any and all IRC texts messages that are sent soliciting help for nurse staffing on ANY UNIT would qualify for extra pay. No units are cut out of this opportunity. You must work your FTE on all regularly scheduled/assigned shifts in the pay period and supplemental RN’s must have fulfilled their work agreements. In the event you are low censused at the end of your workweek you will still be eligible for incentive pay for all incentive shifts worked.

Lastly, to be clear, the agreed upon language states “For break through staffing needs on any unit regardless of designation, any and all IRC text notifications that solicit staffing help due to staffing needs, or are generated due to daily staffing shortage will have extra shift incentive.” If you feel you did not get paid correctly, this would constitute a grievance.

Thus if your manager has indicated your unit is not a designated unit, and you feel this is not accurate, ask them to verify it through HR, or contact your Nurse Rep.

If the text from IRC doesn’t indicate surge or incentive, does the incentive LOU pay still apply?

Yes. Management has agreed to any and all texts that come from IRC will be eligible provided the text is being sent by IRC to solicit staffing help. If you feel you did not get paid correctly, this would constitute a grievance.

I see the word “surge” but why doesn’t it say “incentive”? Is it the same thing?

Yes. If you get notification that a shift is “surge” eligible or “incentive” eligible it is the same thing, and means the shift qualifies for incentive pay per the LOU.

I work on NICU and L and D, but my manager is saying our units don’t qualify?

Management has told us both the NICU and L and D are designated units and DO qualify for incentive pay.

I have a pre-approved vacation day and one of my days falls during a week I would like to pick up a shift for incentive pay. Does this mean I still qualify for incentive pay?

Yes. Management has told us if a nurse already had a pre-approved vacation day prior to the start of the assignment, they would not make them ineligible to accept the assignment.

If I have any questions that are not address here, who do I contact?

Contact your Nurse Representative, Jaclyn Smedley BSN, RN at jsmedley@wsna.org . To make sure you receive information promptly, be sure you are receiving WSNA emails. If you are not, email jsmedley@wsna.org so we can update your account.