Today, we had our last scheduled day prior to expiration of the contract on July 31 and the last one before our picket. We did not reach a deal – and are far apart on wages – so it’s time to put all of our collective energy into our picket and beyond. Kudos to our observers for giving our 10-day notice of intent to picket to the Hospital’s representatives at the table today (more below – sign the pledge!).

On the Table

Over the last bargaining session and part of today, we have been engaged with SCH in informal, candid discussions to explore innovative ways to achieve wage scale equity while also ensuring that all WSNA nurses receive the raises we need to again be the children’s hospital of record in the PNW, and to see if there was any pathway possible to coming to agreement. While we appreciate this mutual effort at collaboration, we are far, far apart on wages. We are gobsmacked that Children’s continues to view local general acute care hospitals as its competition for nurses. We have repeatedly stated that we are in a national market to attract pediatric specialty nurses, and that our nurses are leaving Children’s (even if they’re still living in the area) to work nationally at other, better paying children’s hospitals. Many of you have told us that you’re watching these negotiations to decide whether you’re going to stay working here.

Today, we proposed a wage formulation that will emphasize equitable increases so that nurses at the beginning of their career can actually afford to live in our communities while ensuring that senior nurses have their loyalty to our hospital honored. We proposed:

-In year 1 of the contract, effective first full pay period after 8/1/22, we proposed a raise of $8.50 per hour at all steps of the scale. This has the effect of raising the early steps to not only the best rates in Washington State, but also makes us competitive with other states’ hospitals that we know nurses are choosing over SCH. It also provides even the nurses at the top of the scale with a double-digit increase in the first year.

-In year 2, we proposed $5.50 per hour at all steps of the scale. These two consecutive years of raises based on a dollar amount will help the wage scale to become more equitable and balanced.

-In year 3, we proposed a 7% increase.

We additionally proposed retention bonuses (bonuses that nurses will receive if they are working at the time of ratification and at the time of pay-out) for all three years of the contract, improvements to the Length of Service language to make it easier and more fair for part-time nurses to receive annual step increases (this will particularly benefit more senior nurses), parking perks to senior nurses, and a student loan repayment program (which St. Joe’s Bellingham recently introduced to great success).

We also signed a *limited* contract extension. This extension has the following terms and benefits:

• It will last until a new contract is negotiated or thirty days from the date one party serves notice of cancellation on the other, whichever comes first;
• We will still picket on August 9 – the extension does not prevent us from doing that;
• If we reach agreement within 60 days of July 31 and it is ratified by the nurses, all nurses will receive a ratification bonus of the equivalent of the wage increase multiplied by all of the nurse’s paid hours from August 1 through the day before the effective date of the new contract.

We signed this because it provides a ratification bonus (that we would otherwise have to negotiate), we are still picketing, and because we can cancel the agreement within 30 days. This extension gives us the room to be able to take additional actions if necessary beyond our picket without hemming us in.

We will be sending out a FAQ about the extension and what it means and doesn’t mean shortly.

Our union-strong observers are fearless!

Amy Sorensen (ambulatory GI), Stephanie Jensen (NCICU), and Madison Shields (R6) handed the 10-day picketing notice to management while each sharing poignant and heart-breaking stories of why they and their departments were picketing.

Save the dates!

• August 1 – Overpass action! Contact @schnurses on Instagram or Nurse Rep Travis Elmore Nelson (telmore@wsna.org) for more details.
• August 2 – picket sign making party! Montlake Library, 2401 24th Ave. East, 1500-1800. Parking is free and we have all the supplies. Come share your creativity!
• Next week – the long-awaited meeting with bargaining team nurses, Nurse Rep Travis Elmore Nelson, Dr. Sperring and Bonnie Fryzlewicz.
• August 9 – informational picket! 0600-0900 and 1200-1500 in front of the Hospital on Sand Point. If you haven’t signed the picket pledge yet and don’t know anyone who has got one, you can fill out the form online and follow the instructions to submit.
• August 10 and 11 – our next two bargaining dates. Want to be an observer? Contact WSNA organizer Tara Barnes at tbarnes@wsna.org.

In Solidarity,
Your negotiating team: Co-Chair Edna Cortez, PACU; Co-Chair Kara Yates, Medical Unit; Grievance Officer Diane Gates, PICU; Secretary/Treasurer Lindsey Kirsch, Urgent Care; Grievance Officer Erin Doyle, PATCH; Grievance Officer Samantha Lake, Operating Room; Katie Podobnik, Ambulatory; Sarah Munro, Bellevue Surgery Center; Shaina Lawson, NICU; Stefanie Chandos, ED; Annika Hoogesteraat, CVICU

Please contact Travis Elmore Nelson, WSNA Nurse Rep at telmore@WSNA.org or 206-575-7979 ext. 3117 with questions or to find out what you can do to get a fair contract!