WSNA local unit officer election

Ballots were mailed to the home addresses we have in the database (for members-only) a few weeks ago. Please don’t forget to complete your ballot and mail back to WSNA, post-marked no later than October 22, for your ballot to be counted as valid. Announcement of the new officers will follow in an update.

Contract update and preparing to bargain yet again!

Your 2025 contract extension memorandum of agreement was accepted by the King County Council on October 15. It goes next to be signed by the County Executive and 10 days later becomes ordinance. We will publish it to your WSNA webpage for the staff nurses at that time. All other terms and conditions of the current contract remain the same. The wage increases totaling 5.5% and the JLMIC health benefits agreement will be effective beginning January 1 through December 31, 2025. Your WSNA team will begin negotiating the 2026 contract as early as January 2025. These negotiations will be the traditional manner the nurses are accustomed to, where we are regularly bargaining at the table with the employer, providing updates and holding information sessions throughout the process. We will have a better opportunity to address more priorities than was possible for the extension agreement, in addition to more options for contract voting sessions. Stay tuned by reading all WSNA communications.

Employee premium share and increase in Spouse Benefit Access Fees start in 2025

For King County employees who are part of the Regular Employee Benefits Group, there will be a monthly employee premium share and an increase in the Spouse Benefit Access Fees if you enroll in either of the Regence medical plans (KingCare PPO or KingCare Select) for 2025.

Like many other employers across the nation, the county continues to experience rising health care insurance costs. These costs escalated significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic. We negotiated this change with the county to address these costs so that you continue to enjoy sustainable and exceptional health benefits.

For many decades, we have worked with King County to keep costs low for employees while making sure you and your family receive the highest quality benefit plans possible. During this time, we’ve been able to provide premium-free benefits across PPO and HMO (Preferred Provider Organization and Health Maintenance Organization) plans while limiting cost increases for employees, while most other employees in Washington and across the country have paid a percentage of the monthly cost.

It is essential that the benefit plans provided by the county are sustainable in the long term to ensure you continue to receive exceptional health benefits and health care, and premium shares will help provide stability.

If you are part of the Regular Employee Benefits Group – that is, all non-represented employees and all employees in unions that are part of the Joint Labor Management Insurance Committee (JLMIC) – and choose to enroll in either of the Regence medical plans (KingCare PPO or KingCare Select) for 2025, you will begin paying a monthly premium share for those plans. If you cover a spouse or state-registered domestic partner who has access to other employer-based medical coverage, there will also be an increase in the Benefit Access Fees for the Regence plans. The premium share and Benefit Access Fees for 2025 remain significantly lower than what most employees pay at other public and private sector organizations. The SmartCare (Kaiser Permanente) medical plan will remain premium-free.

The 2025 monthly premium share for employees enrolled in either Regence medical plan will apply as follows:

• The KingCare PPO medical plan employee premium share will be $75 per month.
• KingCare Select medical plan employee premium share will be $50 per month.
• The premium share is the same whether you cover only yourself, or you also cover family members on your medical plan.
• The SmartCare (Kaiser) medical plan has no monthly premium share.

The 2025 Benefit Access Fees, which employees pay when they cover a spouse or state-registered domestic partner who has access to other employer-based medical coverage, will apply as follows:

• The KingCare PPO medical plan Benefit Access Fee increases from $125 to $200 per month.
• The KingCare Select medical plan Benefit Access Fee increases from $0 to $75 per month.
• The SmartCare (Kaiser) medical plan Benefit Access Fee remains at $0 per month.

During Open Enrollment, Nov. 1-15, you will be able to select the 2025 benefit plans that work best for you and your family. Watch this short video to learn more. You can refer to this flyer for more information and soon on kingcounty.gov/open-enrollment

Questions about open enrollment? Go to this link https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/audience/employees/benefits/open-enrollment

Questions about WSNA officer elections or other issues? Contact Nurse Representative Tara Barnes tbarnes@wsna.org

Miss an update? You can capture all and access the current contract documents on the staff nurses WSNA webpage https://www.wsna.org/union/seattle-king-county-health-dept-staff

Use social media? Follow on Instagram@phskc_staffnurses