Thanks to everyone that submitted responses to the scheduling survey. The results are based on the number of nurses that responded. We recognize that nurses who have been adversely impacted had a higher motivation to complete the survey. We must remember, though:

An injury to one is an injury to all.

To the question of whether the scheduler changes your master schedule, 78.3% responded yes.

When asked how often this happens, 36% stated at least once a month. The 62.6% of nurses that answered “other,” you shared personal stories of the impact of these disruptions. Some of you have had success challenging these changes, but most of you have not been successful and have been met with indifference.

What follows are how the changes have inconvenienced you:

Childcare 33%

Elder care 10%

Appointments (medical/dental) 67%

Personal plans 83%

Vacation plans 53%

Other 27%

The other category described interruptions to scheduled family time; difficulties finding pet care; disruptions in having time to yourself; being required to scramble to find alternate childcare or care for other family members; disruptions in your circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycles; interference in planned trips to see family; interference with academic plans; and interference with spouse/partner schedules.

Per hospital administration’s directives given in Conference Committee, nurses are to talk to their manager if they have been scheduled on a day that they absolutely cannot work due to the above reasons. Over 55% of you stated you have had to do this. Some of you have had success challenging these changes, but most of you have not been successful and have been met with indifference. However, many of you were not aware that you had this option. Many commented that even though you have been told to do this, you have been met with comments such as “you don’t own your schedule.”

Nurses have resorted to putting in PTO 0.0 on days that you absolutely need to be off, but they are already supposed to be your regular days off. Then you have been told that you can’t do that because that constitutes “self-scheduling” or that you “can’t block your regular days off.”

If you are scheduled on your day off, many of you are also being told to find someone to trade with or request PTO after the schedule has already been posted.

We asked if the schedulers check with you prior to changing your master schedule. Over 91% stated that they don’t. You may receive an email that goes to the entire unit that states, “Check your schedules, some changes have been made.”

We find this unacceptable. Job satisfaction should be number one on hospital administration’s list of priorities.

Because of these findings, we, your WSNA Officers will be filing a group grievance for violating article 7.11 of your WSNA contract which states, in part:

“…Work schedules shall be posted by the 15th of the preceding month. The Medical Center will provide notice to nurses prior to posting of the work schedule regarding any change from their normal scheduling pattern. Posted schedules may be amended by mutual agreement at any time. Attempts will be made to maintain a master schedule (i.e., scheduling patterns) for regularly scheduled part-time and full-time nurses. Absent the nurses' agreement, nurses shall not be scheduled to work above their FTE.”

There does not appear to be a consistent effort to give notice of schedule changes on all units. We do not believe that the hospital is making a good faith attempt to maintain a master schedule or scheduling pattern for our nurses.

This grievance will cover all nurses, and we invite anyone that is interested to attend the grievance meetings with us.

For questions, please contact one of us, your WSNA Officers at https://www.wsna.org/union/st-joseph-hospital.

Please feel free to contact WSNA Nurse Representative Hanna Welander at hwelander@wsna.org.