On May 13, 2024, our first day of bargaining, we presented a nearly comprehensive proposal, which includes our proposals on everything except wage increases and potential changes to our language on leave to comport with the Washington Paid Family Leave Act and on drug and alcohol testing to comply with various laws. We know that economics is the priority for WSNA Skyline nurses. Our May 13 proposal included:

• Incorporating the MOU on Charge Nurses into the body of the CBA, maintaining the $2 premium, and expanding the premium to nurses assigned Charge Nurse duties
• Limiting the number of hours a nurse may be placed on standby/on-call to 12 hours in a pay period.
• Increasing the weekend premium to $3/hour
• Incentivizing picking up shifts with 24 hours' notice or less by paying double time for such shifts
• Revising the low census order such that travelers and nurses working overtime would be low censused before per diems and full and part-time nurses
• Increasing shift differential to be more in line with industry standards
• Increasing certification pay and providing pay for certifications by a nationally recognized specialty org in the practice area of a nurse's primary assignment and preapproved by Skyline
• Adding MLK Day and Juneteenth to the list of recognized (and paid) holidays
• Updating the sick leave language to reflect the Washington Paid Sick Leave law
• Providing more opportunity to convert sick leave to vacation
• Increasing bereavement leave
• Changing the CBA language to reflect the new Hospital Staffing Committee law
• Providing, in a MOU, for the parties to discuss to agreement by the end of 2024 issues related to RNs riding in EMS transport

We received no counters from Skyline management, though we scheduled additional bargaining dates on May 22 and June 3. Management agreed that we could use the bulletin board between ED and radiology for WSNA materials. Check your new WSNA bulletin board for more information.

We plan to present wage proposals (with an analysis of "industry standard" wages) and the two other outstanding topics on May 22. Management told us they would provide a response to our proposals on May 22.

You'll find "I support my bargaining team" stickers on the bulletin board (between ED and radiology) – please wear the stickers while at work the week of May 20-26 to show support for the bargaining team. We also have some WSNA signs. Please take a few minutes to take a photo with coworkers or a selfie with a sign or wearing a sticker showing your unity with the bargaining team!

Britton Baker and Erin Wheelis in the pictures above showing their solidarity with the WSNA bargaining team!

You can also support the bargaining team by trading shifts with them (if requested) so that they can bargain for our union on May 22 and June 3. Finally, if you are not a WSNA member, please join.

Questions about any of this? Contact your officers or Nurse Representative Bret Percival at BPercival@wsan.org or 206-471-0876.

In solidarity,
Gena Martinez - Same Day Surgery – Chair
Laurie Smith - Med Surg/ED – Vice Chair
Britton Baker – ED - Secretary/Treasurer
Susan Rowe - Acute Care -Grievance Officer
Erin Howland – Med Surg/ED – Membership Officer