On a Blue, Blue Friday, we met with Tacoma General management for our third bargaining session

Multicare did not respond to our proposals for wage increases or our economic package. They explained that, despite the email they put out the afternoon before, they would need time to counter with a package that wouldn't offend the nurses. They indicated they would have their economic counter at our next bargaining session on Nov. 17. This makes sense to us – we’d rather have a more serious first counter-proposal from TG than play games with an unrealistically low one.

They presented several proposals, some of which would change working conditions for our nurses for the worse: management proposed changing rotating shift language that would permit them to change your start time to any time within that shift, based on business need, as long as the majority of your hours are on your current shift. If you work 7-7, your start time can be moved as late as 1300/ 0100, and your end time would also be moved accordingly.

They also introduced new preceptor language that would greatly increase the probationary period for new nurses and some transferring nurses. The new program puts new nurses in a residency program for “generally” 12 months, but denies them progressive discipline, just cause, and access to the grievance process while they are paying Union dues. It places experienced nurses who transfer to a new unit into a “fellowship” with a preceptorship, followed by a “trial capacity” period of 90 days. We had a lengthy discussion about this because management’s language wasn’t clear about how long new grad nurses could be deprived of just cause (in violation of our contract). For “fellowships” (which they explained are for experienced TG nurses who transfer into some new departments, and for experienced nurses who are hired to TG), management’s proposed language was vague – it appears that an experienced nurse who starts at TG could be on a similar probationary period (though management didn’t call it a probationary period) for up to a year – again, in violation of our contract. We told management we’d need far more clarity on their intent, and that we were not willing to allow union nurses to be on endless probation without due process.

We expressly rejected management’s Clinical Service Line language (which would take all Clinical Service Line language out of the contract and leave it to the already over-burdened Staffing Committee), and offered a counter that included voluntary training to other CSLs, if a nurse wants to increase their skills. Our proposal would include at least 12 hours of training on the unit prior to a nurse voluntarily accepting patients. Financial incentives proposed were 1.5x base rate of pay for nurses to cross train (if training put them into overtime), as well as $10/ hour for nurses who voluntarily float to a different CSL (which just codifies what the Hospital is currently doing).

Stay Blue, Stay Strong!

Whew! Cafeteria Time was a huge success and we ran out of WSNA t-shirts in the first hour! If you haven’t yet put in your name for a WSNA t-shirt, contact Crystal Doll at Cdoll@wsna.org.

Action Corner

Blue Fridays are here!

Hundreds of WSNA T-shirts were given out last week leading up to negotiations, now it is time to put them to use and make a statement. Wear your WSNA blue every Friday to make a statement- We are nurses standing together and together we are powerful.

Pop-up WSNA Shirt distributions

Keep an eye out for text messages about when the next shirt distribution will be! Not getting our text messages? Update your contact information at: https://www.wsna.org/membership/update-info

Thirsty Thursdays

A weekly virtual gathering space to share ideas and get updates directly from your negotiation team and officers. Every Thursday from 2000-2100. Follow this link to join: https://wsna.to/TGthirstythursday

Let’s stay united! Our next bargaining dates are Nov 17 and 18.

Watch your email, Facebook, and our Instagram (@tg_nurses) for the latest updates and upcoming events!

In solidarity,
Danielle O’ Toole, Local Unit Chair, Resource
Liz Leske, Secretary, PACU
Michelle Stevenson, Grievance Officer, Med Surg
Matt Dustin, NT ICU
Mallory Gregoire, Med Onc
Liana Delacorte, ED
Cherrie Griffith, Grievance Officer, Med Surg
Jess Oyler, OR
Cameron Warriner, NICU
Brenda Bowhay, Grievance Officer, FBC
Colin Bishop, PULSE

If you have any additional questions, please contact your nurse rep Brenda Balogh at bbalogh@wsna.org.