Despite the rain and wind, hundreds of nurses showed up to picket on the first day of contract expiration - November 1 - for a fair contract that retains nurses in our community through safe staffing and a plan to address workplace violence. We showed management that we’re willing to shut it down if we don’t get the contract our coworkers, patients, and community deserve.

Bargaining Team member and Critical Care nurse Yunna Flenord came out after a long shift where charge nurses had to act as a CNA, resource nurse, and break nurse because of short staffing. “I’m exhausted right now. I was literally break nurse, CNA, charge nurse, resource, everything last night. I’m running from like three different floors, making sure everybody has everything. No one’s getting their breaks. Everybody’s frustrated, and I’m frustrated.”

During the afternoon session of the picket, politicians, community members, and labor leaders spoke up and affirmed that Tacoma is a Union Strong Town. April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council, said “I know how important St. Joseph's hospital is to our community. I know how important the work you do is to our community. The care you provide matters to this community." The honking, chants, and cheers were so loud that they could be heard from inside the hospital.

Vote for your Favorite Signs!

We loved seeing all the creativity people put into their picket signs. Click on this link to vote for your two favorite picket signs – the winners will each receive a $50 Michaels gift card!

Next Bargaining Sessions: November 13 and November 19

Thank you to everyone that’s taken time out of their busy lives to observe our bargaining sessions – as we approach our 11th and 12th negotiations with management, we continue to invite observers to see what the process looks like behind the scenes! Make sure you read the guidelines for observers here so you know what to expect.

Hospital Staffing Committee Updates

On Monday, 11/4/24, the HSC met to review management's proposals for the ED, Transition Unit, Inpatient and Outpatient Oncology, and Critical Care Units. Serious concerns arose around the ED, Transition Unit, and 10th Floor Oncology plans, preventing us from addressing critical care units during this session. Union members on the committee, representing WSNA and SEIU, flagged troubling issues with how ED visits are being counted and the proposed cuts to CNA and ED tech roles. Equally concerning is the hospital’s lack of commitment to ensuring a break nurse or CNA in the staffing plans, especially for shifts that expect just one CNA.

Our Union pushed back hard, demanding answers from management about their so-called “peer-to-peer” break system, which is just break buddies under a new name. Management danced around the issue, avoiding a direct answer, but we see through their tactics. If it looks like a break buddy and acts like a break buddy, that’s exactly what it is.

Now, the hospital is attempting to push the committee into a hasty vote on these plans before the year ends. We’re standing firm: we will not approve any plans that fail to improve staffing, and we certainly won’t support anything that worsens conditions for nurses and patients.

Here’s what’s coming up:

• 11/18/24 – The HSC will reconvene to review reworked med-surg plans (excluding 10th Floor).
• 12/2/24 – Special 8-hour meeting to cover the ED, Transition Unit, 10th Floor Oncology, Outpatient Oncology, and Critical Care Units.
• 12/16/24 – Additional 8-hour session to review any remaining units, including the full Family Birth Center.

Stay tuned for ways you can come and participate in future staffing committee sessions!

Thank You, Staffing Committee Observers!

The presence and support of nurses and CNAs from each unit have been powerful in making our case for safe staffing. Management knows we’re serious when they see your solidarity and hear what is actually happening on the units. If you can attend one of these critical meetings, please reach out to Nurse Rep Jared Richardson at jrichardson@wsna.org.

Stay in the loop – make sure your contact info is up to date!

If you haven’t been receiving these WSNA email updates, make sure your contact information is up to date in our system. First, check your junk and spam folders to see if the updates are going there. If you still can’t find the updates, click on this link to update your contact information on our website. It’s critical that we have good home email addresses for everyone before we (eventually) ratify our Contract!

Make sure you're also following our Instagram @sjmc_wsna to see more photos from the picket and get other union updates!

Contact Nurse Rep Jared Richardson at jrichardson@wsna.org, 206-741-3608 or Organizer Grace at 206-553.9794 (glamonte@wsna.org).

In solidarity,
Your WSNA Officers and Negotiating Team
Emily Nollmeyer, local unit Co-Chair, Labor and Delivery, day shift
Carina Price, local unit Co-Chair, ICU, night shift
Matthew McGuire, Treasurer/Grievance officer, ED, day shift
Shelly Mead, Grievance officer, ED, day shift
Yunna Flenord, Grievance officer, ICU, night shift
Teresa Kindell, Membership Coordinator, 2S, day shift
Shannon Suchland, Secretary, Walter's OR, day shift
Sally Budack, Co-Secretary, SADU, day shift
Jessica Lenczycki, negotiating team member, Labor and Delivery, night shift
Kate Frazier, negotiating team member, 7^th floor, night shift
Sarah Guillen, negotiating team member, EP, day shift
Kat Jabasa, negotiating team member, Main OR, day shift