Your local WSNA leadership team received the Memorandum from Brian Ivie late Wednesday afternoon at the same time all employees receive it. We have NOT entered into discussions with leadership regarding the mentioned reduction in labor hours NOR the furlough option. Your employer has an obligation to bargain with us over anything related to Hours, Wages and Working conditions. We are in the process of compelling them to do this and we are reaching out to Brian Ivie directly.

SHIFT LENGTH

Please note the following section of your contract:

7.2 Normal Workday. The normal workday shall consist of eight (8) hours, ten (10) hours or twelve (12) hours, plus an unpaid meal period of one-half (½) hour. Any change from one normal workday to another normal workday or to the starting or ending time of a nurse’s normal workday shall be mutually agreeable between the nurse and the nurse’s manager/supervisor.

If you are being offered a 4 or 6 hour shift please note that is NOT recognized as a “shift”.

LOW CENSUS

Please see the contract language below regarding low census. Staff are encouraged to follow up verbal agreements over the phone with an email to the appropriate staff that verifies in writing what was agreed to verbally. Please be clear with your manager or scheduler or other authorized employee, i.e. “yes I will work Saturday the ____and I am NOT waiving the second weekend premium pay.”

11.2 Low Census The Employer shall continue its efforts to provide at least two (2) hours prior notice of low census day off. Low census call will be voluntary whenever feasible.

Where skill, ability, experience, competence or qualifications are not overriding factors as determined by the Employer on the basis of relevant criteria, low census days will be rotated equitably among all nurses, registry nurses first, then nurses receiving time and one-half or double time overtime/premium except those nurses working a scheduled shift, per diem staff and part time staff working an extra shift…

Nurses may also be offered the option or may be assigned to float to areas where they are needed, qualified and recently oriented on the basis of the nurse having completed a written technical skills checklist for the area, or to be oriented to a new area, or to take an indirect patient care assignment. Floating is primarily intended to be used to address fluctuations in census and employee absences. No nurse shall be required to float more than twice per shift. Regular full-time and part-time nurses will be given priority over casual and/or per diem nurses for filling regularly scheduled staffing needs provided the full-time or part-time nurse is available and skill, ability, experience, competence or qualification are not overriding factors as determined by the Employer on the basis of relevant criteria.

Mandatory low census will be limited to no more than forty-eight (48) hours per nurse per six (6) month period. Generally low census is house wide, meaning there is only one 48 hour cap. Except that there shall be no such limit for nurses in a unit that has been mutually agreed by WSNA and SRH to be identified as a “closed” unit. Low Census hours will be tracked by the Employer but nurses who believe they have reached their cap and do not want to be low censused must notify the individual advising them of the low census assignment at the time the need for low census is being identified. The nurse may request of their manager or nursing office staff to determine accumulated low census hours and the nurse’s place in rotation in relation to other core staff on his/her unit.

Your complete contract can be found on this web page.

As always contact one of your local unit team for questions or email sue Dunlap Nurse Rep at sdunlap@wsna.org.

Liz Rainaud MSN, RN – Local Unit Chair:

Jessica Googe RN - Secretary

Hannah Guy BSN RN Treasurer

Kristi Perez RN CMSRN Secretary / Grievance Officer

Alice Riddle RN - Membership

Cheryl Pedersen RN – Grievance Officer

Rachel Yates RN – Co-Membership