At 3 am on Saturday, your bargaining team reached a hard-fought tentative agreement (TA) with management on a new contract. From the start, management was determined to roll back many of the rights our union has fought for over the years. We stood firm and stopped them from taking away daily double-time for all nurses, the extended illness bank (EIB), and percentage-based shift differentials. Management took aim at per diem nurses in particular and we were able to prevent takeaways to scheduling shifts and overtime.

We also won economic and significant workplace improvements for nurses at St. Joe’s. This contract includes the largest year two and year three wage increases in recent memory, with 4 percent raises in both years. In year one, we secured a 4.25 percent increase, plus an additional $1.00 per hour for steps 1-8. This puts night shift differential at $8.13/hr which is more than a dollar over St. John’s. We also won increases in float pay and ensured that resource and stat nurses will now receive float pay for every hour worked.

Safety and security were top priorities, and we forced management to take action. Our new contract expands workplace safety protections to all work settings, including hospice nurses. We also won a critical provision: if a nurse experiences workplace violence, they will not be required to continue caring for the patient who assaulted them. Additionally, if a nurse is assaulted at work, they will be paid for their full shift and will have access to leave of absence programs if they need more time to recover.

We also made major progress in empowering the Hospital Staffing Committee (HSC) by creating a committee for Hospice RNs that includes a way for Hospice ADOs to be reviewed and resolved.

This contract includes many additional victories, including stronger protections for nurses who need to pump, new safeguards for hospice nurses, and other key improvements. Your bargaining team fought relentlessly for this contract, and we strongly recommend a YES vote.

Read the full TA summary.

Voting Details

With a TA in place, it is time to vote to ratify the contract. To ensure wages and benefits take effect before the contract expires, ratification must be completed by March 28, 2025.

Electronic Voting:

• Opens: 6:30 AM on March 26, 2025
• Closes: 8:30 PM on March 27, 2025
• How to Vote: Eligible nurses will receive an electronic ballot via personal email when voting begins. Ensure your personal email is updated to receive your ballot.

Reminders will be sent via email, text, and social media leading up to the vote.

In-Person Support at the Hospital:

Bargaining team members will be available to answer questions and assist with voting in person in the Physician’s Dining Room (PDR) during the following times:

• March 26 and 27
  • 6:30 am – 8:30 am
  • 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
  • 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

For questions, contact Nurse Representative Jared Richardson at JRichardson@WSNA.org or reach out to one of your union officers.

Bargaining Team PTO Donations

Your bargaining team spent over a collective 1100 hours of unpaid time at the bargaining table, not to mention dozens of hours in prep sessions and briefings. Bargaining team members had to use their own PTO hours to cover the time in negotiations. You can help out the team recoup these personal costs by donating PTO. Donation forms will be distributed around the hospital, available during the in-person events on voting dates, or you can print and fill out a PTO form.. Please turn in signed PTO donation forms to an officer.

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

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Jared Richardson at jrichardson@wsna.org.