Get to know the current WSNA officers:

Virtual nursing celebration / appreciation

On March 25 the officers hosted the first ever virtual nursing celebration. About 45 SCH RNs kicked back to enjoy live comedy from local comedian Kermet Apio and had a chance to win $50 gift cards in trivia games and scavenger hunts. Most RNs tuned in early for the pre-funk to watch WSNA Chair Edna Cortez mix a TKO, a signature drink created specially for this event.

"That union meeting was the BEST FREAKING MEETING EVER!!! You and your team did such a phenomenal job! Kudos and much great fullness. Thank you!! - Review from an attendee

$50 winners: Amber Thor, closest guess on number of jelly bellies in the jar; Rochelle Smit, movie trivia AND animal trivia; Jamie Kane, scavenger hunt; Melina Louvier, scavenger hunt; Wendy Huynh, country cuisine trivia; Sara Buck, country cuisine trivia; Louise Comden, country cuisine trivia; Jema Mateo, random drawing winner; Naisha Erickson, random drawing winner; Jennifer Lerman, random drawing winner. Unit winners for highest percentage of pre-registrations: Rehab, GI clinic, sleep clinic, Odessa Brown Medical Center, PASS and Tri Cities clinic. If you are in one of these units, thank your coworker(s) for registering for this fun event.

Nurses Week is May 6-12

The WSNA officers are planning various ways to celebrate Nurses Week this year, including nomination and recognition of WSNA nurse colleagues, cool giveaways, WSNA swag, and another live, virtual party. Details coming to your personal email inbox.

Juneteenth

On March 11, 2021, SCH announced that employees will receive an additional holiday for 2021, in honor of Juneteenth. Some of you did not hear the whole of it. In fact, this additional holiday excludes all union employees. Is this déjà vu? Didn’t they do this last year when the non-represented workforce was granted Veterans Day? Why yes, they did. On behalf of all the WSNA bargaining unit RNs, the Union is asking the Employer to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that includes RNs to receive this additional holiday.

Grievance and Arbitration updates

WSNA has filed an Association grievance on behalf of all affected nurses for failure to accrue time away benefits. This grievance affects hundreds of SCH RNs who took unpaid low census, aka furlough, and used code 950 for these shifts.

WSNA has four grievances pending arbitration.

1. Communicable diseases – Article 13.16, RNs not permitted to work due to exposure to communicable disease while at work shall be placed in paid leave status. Employer did not place RNs in paid leave status.
2. Denial of OT pay – Clinic RNs working beyond their scheduled shift were not paid at the OT rate. This affects clinic RNs who were scheduled to work 8 hours, then required to stay an additional 4 hours for mandatory education. The Union contends these additional 4 hours shall be paid at the OT rate.
3. Travel quarantine – RNs who had traveled to certain countries were not permitted to work and were forced to use sick leave to be paid. The Union contends that these RNs were not sick, and they should have been allowed to assess their own ability to report for duty.
4. Screening lines – The Union contends that RNs required to wait in screening lines be paid for this time, as it is akin to paid time for donning and doffing, because it is required.

Who do I contact?

Questions about this newsletter? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Sydne James at sjames@wsna.org.