Friday, January 17, 2020
11:00 AM to 3 PM
Conference Room 6

On January 7, 2020, your Officers, Nurse Representative and attorney met with management to address:

(1) management’s decision to drop its Voluntary Plan (short term disability benefit) for providing Washington State Paid Family and Medical Leave(WPFML), and
(2) management’s request for 12-hour nurses to waive their second meal break. Your Officer Team is pleased to announce a tentative agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding. Key points include:

1. Nurses will apply directly with the State for WPFML benefits;
2. The Employer’s agrees to pay the employee share of taxes for the medical portion of the State benefits (reducing the tax on nurses);
3. The Employer agrees to allow nurses the option to supplement (top off) amounts paid under the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave program up to 100% of their average regular wages with accrued EIB or PTO;
4. The Employer agrees to reimburse currently employed nurses for short-term disability premium payments paid since ratification of the contract;
5. For those nurses who want additional disability coverage beyond the 12 to 18 weeks and $1000 per week limitation of the State’s WPFML, the Employer will continue to allow nurses to sign up for or continue at their own expense the same six-month, 65% short-term disability plan from 2019, at 2019 premium rates for 2020. Those enrolled in 2019 would not be subject to limitations on pre-existing conditions. Please note that enrolled nurses would also continue to accrue and have access to EIB and the State’s paid leave.

The Employer agrees to delay response time to the requested 12-hour waiver to February 29, 2020, and for those 12 hour nurses choosing two meal breaks to have the extra half hour of work added to the end of their shift and subject to normal low census rules. 12-hour nurses choosing one meal break will be unaffected by signing the waiver.