After more than a year of negotiations, our Negotiating Team has reached a Tentative Agreement with St. Clare which provides the same across the board wage increases as achieved at St. Joes Tacoma. The Tentative Agreement includes many significant improvements, including a big wage increase, retroactive pay, safe staffing protections, and other significant improvements as outlined below. Of equal importance, the Tentative Agreement excludes management’s proposed takeaway including cuts to current per diem’s premium, health tests and others.

These improvements were achieved because of all of us – the proud, strong RNs St. Clare nurses who joined together to let management hear our united voice. Our Negotiating Team recommends a Yes Vote.

Highlights include:

Wages

• Six and a Half (6½) Percent Across the Board: Across the board wage increase effective first pay Period After Ratification.

• Three and a Half (3½) Percent Across the Board Wage Increase: Effective first pay period after January 1, 2021.
  
  
• Ratification Bonus: All current nurses employed on the date of payment, which will be within two pay periods of ratification will receive a 3% retroactive wage payment from the Agreements expiration date, February 1, 2019 to November 2, 2019.

• Incentive Bonus Plan: A structured Incentive Plan which allows management to offer at least five dollars ($5.00 per hour) on an equitable basis to address staffing needs.

• Wellness Conversion: Allows conversion of limited sick leave to annual leave.

• Per Diem Nurses: Current per diem nurses will retain a 15% premium. Although future Per Diems will Receive 12%. We fought to the end to protect current per diem nurses.

• Charge Nurse Premium: $2.25 to $2.50

• SWAT Nurse Premium: $2.25 to $2.50

Language Proposals

• Staffing Committee: Improvements to Staffing Committee strength requiring changes in staffing to be addressed by Staffing Committee before they go into effect and provides for the WSNA Nurse Representative to attend.

• Staffing Commitments: Enforceable commitment to staff adequately to assure rest and meal breaks plus vacation time.

• Workplace Violence: Assures that WSNA members will have a strong voice in designing and implementing changes to improve safety for nurses, patients and visitors through the St Clare Safety Committee.

• Preceptor Experience: Assures preceptors will have at least one year of independent patient care experience.

• FT Standby On Extra Shifts: Full-time nurses who sign-up for extra shifts are free to refuse standby absent an emergency or mutual agreement.

• Residency Period: The Residency Agreement has changed so nurses’ introductory period is limited to six-months for repayment purposes, creating a hard deadline for repayment purposes.

• New Employee Orientation: Guarantee access to new nurses for WSNA introduction over lunch.

• Seniority Recall: Reduced from 18 to 12 months.

• Low Census Order: Generally, requires travelers to be low censused before staff nurses.

• Low Census Committee: Joint WSNA-Management Committee to correct low census errors.

• Floating: Provides travelers will be floated before staff nurses.

Our Negotiating Team believes that it is a strong Agreement which will improve and protect our professional lives and lay a strong foundation to build on in the future. In addition to the above, numerous minor contract changes, clarifications and language clean up are in the proposal. The Association encourages all RNs to take time to review the full draft Proposed Agreements which will be available at the ratification.

Our bargaining team recommends a YES vote on December 2!

Voting Location and Times:

Date: Monday, December 2, 2019
Place: St Clare Hospital, Classroom C
6:30 – 8:30 a.m.
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
6 – 8:30 p.m.

Our Negotiating Team members and attorney that bargained the Tentative Agreement will be available at the vote to provide further explanation and/or answer questions.

In Solidarity; Kimberly Russell, Tony Endrizzi, Clairissa Korrell, Jocelyn Rogers, Patrick Williams, Tessa Zuidhoff

For questions, contact WSNA Nurse Representative Barbara Friesen at bfriesen@wsan.org or 206-575-7979 ext. 3056.