Dear fellow WSNA nurses,

As everyone is reviewing the TA summary and as we’re preparing for the ratification next week, we want you to be fully aware of what your vote means and what the next steps would be if our bargaining unit votes down the TA.

Your bargaining team has recommended a “yes” vote on this TA. We did this because we believe this was the very best we could win with the power that we had. It’s not news to anyone that PeaceHealth is, to put it mildly, a difficult employer and this was a difficult contract fight. We are proud of the fact that we fought off multiple attempts by management to “take away” provisions in our Contract. We are proud of several of the gains that we made. We fought as hard and as long as we could until we secured a deal we could recommend. Understand, though, that we share many of the ambivalent feelings that we have heard come out of the bargaining unit.

We’re sending out this message because we want everyone to go into the vote with their eyes wide open and prepared to do a gut check about what each of us is truly willing to do.

The only power the bargaining team has is the power that comes from WSNA nurses standing together. Have the conversation with yourself about whether you are ready to picket or strike – and whether your coworkers are – for what might be better, worse, or the same agreement if this TA is voted down.

That said, we want to be clear: any communication or materials bearing the WSNA logo that tell you to vote no are not coming from WSNA. If you have questions about whether any communication is legitimate, ask a bargaining team member or WSNA representative directly.

What Happens if the Contract is Not Ratified?

If the contract is voted down, the bargaining team will return to the table and continue negotiating in good faith. However, there are real risks and consequences to consider:

•  Nothing is guaranteed. We would not start bargaining “up” from this TA – rather, almost everything would be up in the air. Management is under no obligation to keep the deal we fought for. They are also under no obligation to maintain the hard-won tentative agreements on daily double-time and per diem daily overtime—these were conditioned on ratification. There is no guarantee that they will leave EIB in place. All of this would need to be negotiated again..
• Delays may mean lost wages. The agreement must be ratified by March 28, 2025, to ensure wage increases and benefits take effect starting with the first full pay period after our current contract expires. If we go back to bargaining, there is no guarantee of retroactive pay to that date, meaning every day without a ratified contract is money out of nurses’ pockets. That would mean nurses lose from $2.75 to $3.24 in base rate wages per hour until we get a deal – that's an average of at least $208.49 per pay period for a 0.9 FTE nurse before differentials..
• The healthcare landscape is shifting fast, and on Friday news from the federal government increased concerns about future Medicare funding. Since we reached this tentative agreement, further Medicare funding uncertainty has potentially given management another excuse to argue that they "can’t afford" wage increases. We know the truth—nurses deserve better—but rejecting this contract now gives them an opportunity to stall or claw back any gains we’ve already achieved..
• Delays mean instability. If this contract is not ratified, we likely won’t return to the table until mid-April at the earliest, based on management’s availability. That’s weeks of uncertainty, with no guarantee that a better deal is on the horizon.

Every WSNA nurse has an equal say in this contract. Your vote is your right, and we respect that. But we urge you to make an informed decision. We fought hard for this agreement. A yes vote means locking in these hard-won improvements—without delay, without risk.

If you have questions, reach out to your bargaining team or contact your WSNA nurse representative Jared Richardson, JRichardson@WSNA.org.

Your Team,
Laura Bayes, Robin Cully, Jenn Engelhart, Rhonda Tull, Tracy Pullar, Amber Pouley, Jen Hampton, Kristin Malmo, Errin Hull, and Kelly Carroll