Our lactation nurses at SJMC recently organized and voted to become part of our bargaining unit. Today we met with management to bargain them into our contract. We believe all RNs at SJMC are equal and should be treated equally. Our opening proposal would have done just that, same wages and provisions of our contract with a few proposals that are specific to new groups of nurses joining our bargaining unit such as how seniority applies to them.

We were shocked when management gave us their proposals, that made lactation nurses seem like second class nurses and even proposed a separate pay scale so they would be paid way below what all other nurses at SJMC earn. Their proposal was 21% to 44% less than all other SJMC nurses earn. Here is a link to the wages management proposed for lactation nurses, that also compares those to what the rest of SJMC WSNA nurses make and what lactation nurses – who are in the union – make at TG.

They tried to justify the pathetic wages they proposed by implying the work they do is not worthy. These are experienced RNs that have additional training, education, and certifications to provide this specialty care that save newborn lives.

We need to show management this is not okay, and we are going to stand in solidarity with them.

Stickers will be available soon for all of us to wear and show our support of the lactation nurses.

Stay tuned!

In solidarity, WSNA/SJMC Local Unit Officers: Matthew McGuire, Emily D’Anna, Sally Budack, Shelly Mead, Yunna Flenord, Teresa Kindell, Carina Price, Rachel Wachter, Shannon Suchland

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Repre­sen­ta­tive Barbara Friesen at bfriesen@wsna.org 206-575-7979 ext. 3056.