We have put all of our money on the table. By that, we mean we have given all proposals that might have a financial impact (beyond the obvious, like wages and premiums). Management tells us they will have a comprehensive economic response at our next session, on May 6. Read on to find out how you can attend negotiations and see how it all unfolds firsthand. (And thanks to our observers who came yesterday!)

Annual Leave – wouldn’t it be nice to use it?

We proposed big changes to Annual Leave scheduling  that would 1) give senior nurses priority in scheduling, 2) ensure that new nurses are able to take time off, and 3) hold larger departments accountable to give more than one nurse off per shift. In short, our plan is that nurses would put in for vacation for the next calendar year in “rounds.” Under our proposal, senior nurses would get to select up to 3 weeks (consecutively, separately, or in a mix of weeks and days) in the next calendar year first, mid-range nurses would then select up to 2 weeks, then least senior nurses would select up to one week. In the next round, also in seniority order, nurses would be able to put in for time off up to the amount they would have accrued by the time they took off. After that, any nurse could put in for any time in that next calendar year, if they would have time accrued by the time they took off.

There are so many problems with the current system of Annual Leave scheduling, and it is common for nurses to cap out on accruing time because they are unable to get time off. Management agreed that there are many problems with current Annual Leave scheduling, but their only proposal on Annual Leave was for nurses to lose Annual Leave if a nurse canceled their time off (management didn’t give any time frames for that, either). Rather than put in more take-aways from our existing language, we’re doing the work to come up with a more equitable system that rewards seniority and actually allows nurses to take their accrued time off.

Residency Agreements – 21^st century indentured servitude

Trade Commission (FTC) agree that “agreements” between employees and their employer that ultimately prevent an individual from freely moving between employers – for example, the Residency Agreement that Skagit uses – are unlawful because they hinder competition between employers (meaning, these agreements artificially allow employers to keep wages lower), among other things. To quote the FTC:

Noncompetes are a widespread and often exploitative practice imposing contractual conditions that prevent workers from taking a new job or starting a new business. Noncompetes often force workers to either stay in a job they want to leave or bear other significant harms and costs, such as being forced to switch to a lower-paying field, being forced to relocate, being forced to leave the workforce altogether, or being forced to defend against expensive litigation. Read more about it here.

While neither the NLRB nor the FTC have direct jurisdiction over Skagit, it is clear that Skagit’s Residency Agreement, which new nurses are forced to sign and agree to stay at Skagit for two years at a certain FTE or pay back “training fees” in the form of a fine, as well as allowing Skagit to deduct money from the nurse’s last paycheck to cover that fine, and agreeing to pay for Skagit’s attorney fees (!) if the Hospital chooses to file a claim against the nurse, are unlawful under Washington State labor law. A unionized public hospital is required to negotiate with the union if it wants to change terms and conditions of employment, and it cannot deal directly with a unionized employee (that is, it can’t do an end-run around the union by going straight to the employee). By imposing these fines in this pre-hire agreement without bargaining with WSNA, and by dealing directly with newly hired nurses, we firmly believe Skagit is violating the law and told them this.

We proposed that the repayment language in Residency Agreements is null and void, and that nurses who’ve left Skagit in the last three years who were forced to pay are reimbursed. Research “TRAPs” – Training Repayment Agreement Provisions (not our term – that’s what they’re called!) to learn more.

Your Posters and Signs Made an Impact!

The bargaining team was surrounded by your posters and pictures of all of you holding your posters in bargaining yesterday! Keep ‘em coming! Reach out to your bargaining team members, Nurse Representative Sue Dunlap at sdunlap@wsna.org or WSNA Organizer Crystal Doll at cdoll@wsna.org or 206 334-8388 to get more information!

Come to May 6 Bargaining and Hear Management’s Economic Counter-Proposal Contact WSNA Organizer Crystal Doll at cdoll@wsna.org or 206 334-8388 to learn about where and when and how to join the team at the table.

In solidarity,
The bargaining team
Liz Rainaud, FBC, Co-Chair; Jessica Magner, Urgent Care, Co-Chair; Rachel Yates, UC, Treasurer; Kim McCann, FBC, Membership; Kyla Malean, OR; Lacey Bernick, PERI-OP

Questions or comments, contact Nurse Representative Sue Dunlap at sdunlap@wsna.org or 425.263.0522 or Organizer Crystal Doll at cdoll@wsna.org.