Our team proposed honoring Juneteenth in our original proposal. It has been rejected this entire time. So our team, in an effort to compromise, proposed swapping President’s Day for Juneteenth and create a Racial Justice Taskforce with a proposed framework of what that taskforce would look like. Management countered by gutting the language we had proposed regarding the Taskforce and rejected swapping holidays also suggesting the Taskforce could decide to celebrate Juneteenth in ways other than being a paid holiday.

Today management also told us about the nurse staffing problems across the nation and at SJMC. Then boasted between June and November of this year they have hired and made offers to a total of 227 nurses to fill vacancies, and that 90% of these were new nurses. Also, due to the virtual learning these new grads received they would require additional time to orient, and they have plans for professional development to help retain theses new nurses. Naturally our team asked what the plan was to retain experienced nurses. Nothing!

Retention bonuses

Today WSNA proposed retention bonuses, which management flat rejected. No counter proposal of any kind for retention bonuses, just no.

Wages

Management’s latest wage proposal did not come up at all and is still below other nearby contracts are settling at and not what nurses are telling us would be enough to retain them.

• 8% First full pay period after ratification if we have a tentative agreement by Dec 2, 2021. Otherwise, the second full pay period after ratification.
  • No retro pay.
  • 2% next summer, first full pay period after July 1, 2022.
• 4% & 4% First full pay period after November 1, 2022 & 2023 respectively.

Management continues to refuse to agree Per Diem nurses would not be disciplined or discharged without just cause.

We need management to do more, do better.

Strike

WSNA is hearing loud and clear nurses at SJMC are fed up and demanding management do more and do better. That is why the strike assessment is underway. Our team wants to know what every single nurse wants to do - if you are willing to strike or not. If you have not signed a strike pledge, have not talked with a strike assessor, or would like to be trained how to do strike assessments, please contact Grace LaMonte at GLaMonte@wsna.org.

More actions will be coming soon so stay tuned!

In Solidarity Your Negotiating Team; Dian Davis, Linda Burbank, Yunna Flenord, Brandon Hardaway, Katy Heffernan, Matthew McGuire, Shelly Mead, Chelsey Roos, Emily D’Anna, Sally Budack, Naomi Kincade

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Barbara Friesen at bfriesen@wsna.org.