As the weather starts to turn cooler the union activity at St. Luke’s heats up.

Staffing updates –
Your WSNA officers continue to advocate for increased staffing in all care areas. We have drawn attention to increased patient loads and a decrease in administration within the building due to staffing changes and resignations.

Your contract states that bargaining members should not be engaged in administrative work. If you feel you are being asked to engage in administrative duties or staffing is creating a compromise to safety or care, take a moment and fill out an assignment despite objection (ADO).

These forms can be used to report workplace issues such as missed breaks due to staffing, safety concerns or events, staffing not according to the staffing plans submitted to the state, equipment malfunctions or substandard equipment that impedes your ability to perform your jobs, workplace violence or lack of ancillary staff.

Your WSNA officers know the culture of St. Luke’s and continue to advocate for interdisciplinary teams to be staffed appropriately to provide the outstanding level of care Spokane is accustomed to from St. Luke’s.

An ADO can be submitted from a computer, your phone, or printed and turned in manually. Find the ADO form on the wsna.org website or use the button below:

Shift incentives –
Shift incentives have been extended through March 31, 2024. Your WSNA officers advocated for an increase in the incentives, however at this time Providence was unwilling to increase incentives for extra shifts.

New night shift retention bonuses –
In response to your advocacy and continued highlighting of the staffing challenges St. Luke’s has faced Providence has agreed to a retention bonus for existing night shift nurses. This is the first retention bonus given to a Providence facility within Spokane. Together your voices were amplified by your WSNA officers and the clear and obvious need to recognize nurses who have traditionally worked nights in an effort to retain nurses at St. Luke’s.

The retention first payment is scheduled for the 12/10/2021 pay period. Use the link in the document bar above to view or download the full MOU.

Scheduling task force –
Work continues on staff scheduling. In conjunction with administration your union officers have been working hard on schedules that allow for life-work balance. We have heard from many members that three 12 hour shifts in succession are exhausting and have not been the previous standard of schedules.

As we continue to work with administration on schedules that allow for recruitment and retention, we recognize the individual needs of all nurses.

Please contact Jeff Dubrawski, WSNA chair for more detailed information about this work or reach out to your nurse representative Shawn Reed for additional questions.

Membership –
Do you know coworkers who have not joined WSNA? Many times, the reason given is, “I can’t afford it.” Your membership is a message. By joining WSNA you send the message to Providence that nurses are united at St. Luke’s.

Dues are calculated based on FTE and there is a discounted rate for new graduates. Your dues are never used in political action and a portion of your dues is returned to the bargaining unit at St. Luke’s for use by the local unit for events or to support efforts in bargaining.

If we are to improve wages and working conditions a show of solidarity is needed at the bargaining table.

Over the past year WSNA has secured an increase in wages, fought for a voice at the table regarding your schedules, secured stronger language around your benefits and retirement, pushed for higher appreciation bonuses and shift incentives, and secured the first retention bonus given by Providence to any Spokane facility.

WSNA has also carried your voices through series of legislative meetings to state elected officials to highlight the need for safe staffing and proper recognition of all nurses, regardless of care setting. We are united in these fights and invite you to join us. Advocacy doesn’t stop at the bedside.

This work is not over, but we need your help!

Where your dues go: The amount of dues you pay includes portions that go to WSNA, the American Nurses Association, AFT Healthcare and your district nurses association. Four percent of the WSNA portion of your dues go to the WSNA Cabinet on Economic and General Welfare and an additional four percent go to your local unit. This combined amount is based on the district in which you are employed and the total hours you are scheduled to work per month (FTE). For more information on where your dues go, visit www.wsna.org/membership

A membership application can be found here –
2021-WSNA-application-union-member-fillable.pdf

Return by fax, USPS, or simply hand to any of your WSNA officers: Jeff Dubrawski, Jenny Galassi, Amanda Coons, or Garrett Stenehjem.

WSNA is committed to building the power of nurses at St. Luke’s. For more information about WSNA, union activities or how you can get involved in organization reach out to any WSNA officer, your nurse representative Shawn Reed, or your WSNA organizer Zach Seikel, zseikel@wsna.org, 206-575-7979 ext. 3064.

In closing -
As 2021 approaches to a close we reflect on the significant changes this year has brought to us. When you engage in the work of rehabilitation you engage in the work of retuning a patient and their family to a life that may look different before a catastrophic injury or illness but life, nonetheless.

You give them the tools they need to be successful. You carry the torch given to you by acute care and do so with compassion, kindness, and understanding. The work you are doing is important, valuable, and necessary.

“Diagnosis is not the end, but the beginning of practice.” -Martin Fischer

Be on the look out for information on how to join us for a special thank you and a little holiday cheer in the month of December.

Questions? Contact your WSNA Nurse Representative, Shawn Reed sreed@wsna.org or 206-575-7979 ext. 3126.