Health Insurance Update

We are continuing our discussions with the employer regarding their change to your health insurance. We have proposed a variety of ways that they could reduce the impact of their decision to change providers on our members but have yet to hear back from them on whether they will consider them. They have not provided us with the requested details on their plans to expand their provider availability in the area given the restrictions they are creating under Moda Health. We are continuing to push for answers and will keep everyone updated with what we hear. We have gathered statements from many of your peers about how their family's health care has been affected by the changes to the health plan, and how they anticipate their care will be impacted starting next year, and we are encouraging you to submit questions and concerns via the AskHR feature on the MyHR portal available on the hospital's intranet. Please take a screenshot or copy-paste your inquiry and email it to your nurse rep, Grace Chesterman (gchesterman@wsna.org). Administration cannot continue to deny that they have not heard complaints from staff about the new health insurance.

Join the Contract Action Team to get more involved!

Negotiations for your new contract are swiftly approaching so we are gathering a group of Union Strong Nurses to join the Contract Action Team (CAT)! The team helps spread news about how negotiations are going, distributes buttons and stickers and helps coordinate support for your negotiation team. Please get in contact with Sam Scholl (sscholl@wsna.org) for more details and for the next virtual meeting.

Sip and Chats are coming your way!

We will host weekly virtual meetups so you can discuss what is happening with members of the bargaining team. These will take place every Monday from 4:30-5:30pm. Our first Sip and Chat will take place on January 13, where we will discuss the results of the Negotiation Survey.

WSNA Lobby Day Scholarships

Your local unit officers are offering 10 individual scholarships of $300 to assist members in good standing to attend WSNA's Lobby Day, happening on February 4, 2025 in Olympia. There will be an information session in the morning to learn about the initiatives that WSNA will be discussing with legislators, then you will be given the opportunity to speak directly to the representatives from your district and share your frontline experience and insights. This is a chance to get involved in decisions on healthcare standards, patient safety, and public health! Registration closes on December 27, so don't delay if you want to be a part of the action.

Washington State Nurses Convention Scholarships

Your local unit officers are offering five individual scholarships of $500 to assist members in good standing to attend the Washington State Nurses Convention happening April 30 to May 2 in Tacoma. If selected, you can use the funds to help pay for your ticket to attend the convention (early bird prices end January 15!) as well as your mileage, meals and lodging. Scholarships are first-come-first-served so apply soon by emailing your nurse rep, Grace Chesterman (gchesterman@wsna.org).

Contact Grace Chesterman, WSNA Nurse Representative (gchesterman@wsna.org) or your local unit officers if you have questions.