The collective bargaining agreement AKA the contract expires on 10/31/2024. A mere 266 days from today. Perhaps the most important part of a collective bargaining agreement is the word collective. Union contracts do not happen by themselves. They are the result of a united effort by every nurse in the hospital showing management that we are solidified in our endeavor to make St. Joe’s a better, safer, and more attractive place for nurses to work and patients to receive care.

While the contract expires on Halloween, the work to negotiate a new one has been well under way and is only going to ramp up as we get ever closer to bargaining. Local unit leadership has been working hard to prepare for negotiations, but they need your help. You can do so by filling out the pre-negotiation survey (details below), signing up to be a unit rep, or helping on one of the committees. If you are interested in finding out how you can help your union be stronger and represent your interest reach out to a unit rep, local officer, or your WSNA nurse representative. Remember you cannot spell UNION without U and I.

Pre-Negotiation Survey Closes 4/15

We are getting close to wrapping up the pre-negotiation survey, and we want to be sure we have heard from every nurse at St. Joe’s. If you have not had a chance to do so yet, please take some time today to fill out the survey by following the  link below. Talk to your coworkers and make sure they know about the survey as well. Let’s show management at the bargaining table what we already know: That we are speaking with the voice of 1300 plus nurses!

In person unit rep meeting 4/2 at The Pinecone Cafe

We are hosting our quarterly in person unit rep meeting at The Pinecone Cafe in University Place on 4/2. There will be a 0800 session and an 1800 session. Food and drink will be provided (alcohol excluded), and we will conduct unit rep training and talk about the roadmap to a successful bargaining season. This event is open to all current unit reps, and anyone interested in becoming a unit rep. Sign up for the event by following the link below. Come find out how you can spend a few hours a month to make your union stronger.

Nurses Week 2024

We are planning big things for Nurses Week this year. We will be serving breakfast for all nurses on May 9 from 0700-1000 in Lagerquist A. There will also be giveaways all week long, opportunities to get together with your fellow union strong nurses. We are looking for volunteers to help plan the events.

Please reach out to a local unit officer or your WSNA nurse representative for more details.

In Solidarity,

Emily Nollmeyer, Co-Chair 
Matthew McGuire, Co-Chair 
Sally Budack, Co-Secretary 
Shannon Suchland, Co-Secretary 
Shelly Mead, Grievance Officer 
Yunna Flenord, Grievance Officer 
Carina Price, Membership Officer 
Rachel Wachter, Membership Officer 
Teresa Kindell, Membership Coordinator

You can contact WSNA Nurse Representative Jared Richardson, BSN, RN, at jrichardson@wsna.org.