In this issue:

• Shift differential
• Incentive shift MOU
• Grievance update
• COVID update
• New hire coffee hour
• Clinic nurse update
• Special note

Are you getting paid your shift differential properly?

It has been brought to the attention of WSNA that there is a policy created by payroll that is not in alignment with your contract. Recently a nurse was denied evening differential because she left work at 6 p.m. and payroll cited this policy which states she needed to work until 7 p.m. to receive the evening differential. We were successful in getting the evening shift differential for this nurse! Our request for removal of this policy was denied. Please check your timecards! If you notice an error, please bring it to the attention of your manager in email and please cc your nurse representative so that we may follow up. Per the CBA:

• 8.6 Shift Differential. Nurses assigned to the second (evening) shift shall be paid a shift differential or premium of Three Dollars and Twenty-Five Cents ($3.25) per hour over the regular hourly rate. Nurses assigned to the third (night) shift shall be paid a shift differential or premium of Four Dollars and Seventy-Five Cents ($4.75) per hour over the regular hourly rate
• 8.6.1 Calculation of Shift Differential. Evening shift differential shall be paid for all hours worked if fifty percent (50%) or more of a majority of the shift falls after 3:00 p.m. Night shift differential shall be paid if fifty percent (50%) or more of hours worked fall between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

Incentive shift MOU

WSNA is in contact with the hospital regarding a proposed incentive MOU, we will update you as we receive more information. Please note however the MOU for extra shift incentive is still in effect. This is different from a bonus shift. Your bonus shift language is contractual and is in effect through the life of the contract (see article 8.11 in your contract). The extra shift incentive was negotiated to help with staffing during the pandemic and expires at the end of the year. You CAN have both MOU shift and bonus shift if management offers it. Incentive shifts may also be offered same day if needed – we were made aware that some departments were only offering for apparent “holes” in the schedule in advance. Also please note that the incentive pay follows the nurse and is not dependent on the department. I.e. if nurse at Urgent Care Smokey Point agrees to MOU shift and then is asked to go to Riverbend, the MOU pay goes with the nurse and is not tied to the specific clinic.

Grievances

WSNA filed a grievance on behalf of our nurses, who were removed from the schedule due to non-completion of CBLs. WSNA takes the point that during this unprecedented time of crisis and short staffing the hospital should extend the nurses at SVH additional grace during this time and Kaycee Barber from HR has agreed to investigate this situation. If you are comfortable providing your name to myself or Sue, please send us an email.

We are moving forward with the grievance related to not being able to claim call back when your call shift starts at the completion of your regular scheduled shift. Currently we are at the step 3 phase (see article 6 of your contract) and will present this argument this month to hopefully resolve this. To be clear, WSNA position is that your call shift is exactly that – a shift. You should be able to clock out of your regular shift and clock in for call back even if you do not leave the hospital premises. Stay tuned for more on this.

WSNA has also filed an association level grievance related to inadequate staffing. We are grateful for everyone who completed the staffing concern forms. ** Please note the WSNA form also addresses issues such as missing or malfunctioning equipment, workplace violence and other issues besides staffing! Unfortunately, the Department of Health who upholds the staffing law is woefully behind on their investigations and did not pursue any investigations at all during the pandemic because of the emergency proclamation. With the sunset of that proclamation however, that will change. However, your negotiating team was able to secure superb staffing language in the contract so even without the benefit of support from government agencies, WSNA can pursue contract violation of this article and we have done so. Stay tuned for updates on this important issue! While it may seem like an effort in futility to complete the forms, please continue to do so as this documentation is indispensable in arguing our case.

COVID

With the state of emergency ending at the end of this month, we will see changes to mandates WSNA will keep you updated on the changes as they happen.

We are anticipating the governors state of emergency and associated mandates to sunset at the end of October. This places additional burdens on the hospital as they must now comply with things like the staffing law and following the staffing plan. One thing that is NOT going to change however is that nurses who contract Covid in the course of performing their job duties will still be eligible for workman's compensation through L&I. Unfortunately, the governors mandate of presumptive eligibility will no longer be in effect. What does this mean? This means that you as the nurse and injured party need to be able to substantiate that you acquired this at work. You will need a positive COVID test - not a home test. Further details about what will be required are still to be revealed but we will keep you informed as we walk through this changing landscape together. Remember we are here to help so please reach out with any questions or concerns regarding this.

New hire coffee hour

We will be resuming our coffee hour monthly for any nurse but targeted to those who were hired at Skagit within the last 2 years. We meet at Whidbey Coffee on marketplace so please come join us for a complimentary beverage of choice! Watch for the announcements particularly on the Facebook group. If you have not joined our Facebook group, the link is https://www.facebook.com/groups/skagitrns. You must be a member in good standing to join this group.

Clinic nurses

We are aware of some changes being made within the clinics particularly with the construction and anticipated opening of the new building in Mt. Vernon. Please note that any changes that management proposes that affect your hours, wages and working conditions are mandatory subjects of bargaining and leadership must include discussions with WSNA prior to even presenting to you as the nurses. (see article 11 of your contract). WSNA would like to have the information and then consult with all the nurses from the affected unit and do what we can to lessen the pain of any changes being made. Example: Your Outpatient infusion department was told they were going to have to rebid on their jobs to accommodate managements need for Sunday hours to address patient needs. However, we were able to avoid a complete rebid by having dialogue and the nurses voices and opinions were heard and a complete upheaval of everyone's schedule was avoided. So what does this mean for you? If you hear of any proposed changes coming from management presented at a staff meeting, it is always appropriate to ask if these had been discussed with the union and then please alert one of your officers or Sue and/or Stephenie immediately.

Staffing challenges are an ongoing problem for clinics just as they are for hospital-based nurses. The staffing concern forms are your best friend! These are not punitive at all and should not be presented as a negative action. Please do expect your manager to ask questions about the situation – they are required to complete an investigation into the situation. In addition, it should be noted that an MA does not replace a nurse. Please reach out for any questions or concerns.

Special note

Your officers and your WSNA staff all want to say how much you are all appreciated. Thank you for all you do every day to support the community that Skagit serves and the support and encouragement you show to each other. We are here to help in any way we can so feel free to reach out. As staff have left Skagit, we as the officers are experiencing some vacancies in our officer roster. If you happen to have an interest in helping out your team and improving the conditions at Skagit, please reach out to any of us. We would love to have you on the team.

In solidarity,
Liz Rainaud
Jessica Magner
Rachel Yates
Abubaker Cameron

If you’re not sure if you are a member or know someone who wants to join WSNA here is a link to the membership application: https://www.wsna.org/membership/application.

Please feel free to reach out to your nurse representatives Sue Dunlap (sdunlap@wsna.org) or Stephenie Troftgruben (stroftgruben@wsna.org)