You may recall that we announced intentions to begin getting ready for contract negotiations. Your current contract is set to expire Oct. 31, 2021. However, your team was approached by leadership and their legal counsel to ask if there was any interest in doing a 2-year contract maintaining all current language and just negotiating economics.

There are a couple of advantages to doing this. The delay of 2 years for in-depth negotiations would allow the community and employer to recover from the effects of the pandemic and hopefully be in a much better place than at this moment. In addition, a shorter 2-year contract would now put United negotiating after PeaceHealth St Joe’s in Bellingham. That makes our negotiations process much easier. Lastly, but most important, management agreed to everything we asked for!

Now the good stuff.

• 6% wage increase over 2 years – 3% each year beginning January 1, 2022.
• Increased team lead differential pay ( $2.50)
• Increased certification premium pay ($1.25)
• Increased BSN and MSN premium pay ($1.25)
• Addition of float pool premium pay for our float team nurses - this is new!($2.75)
• New contract expiration date will be Oct. 31, 2023.
• All premium increases are effective the first full pay period after Nov. 1, 2021.

Your team is very excited to highly recommend a YES vote to this!

Voting dates and times: Oct. 26, 2021 6:30 – 8 a.m. and 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Location: Employee parking lot by the helipad – look for the blue tent!

Remember you must be a member in good standing to vote on the contract. At this time, we cannot do absentee ballots, nor can we do electronic voting – it must be in person.

In addition, we will have nomination forms available at the vote. Please consider joining the team of WSNA Officers or see what other great opportunities we have for people to support each by being involved in WSNA. Please also consider serving on the Staffing Committee – this is paid time and management needs to relieve you for these paid meetings. Local unit reps are also needed to help be the communication liaison between the nurses on your unit and your officers! See the nomination forms at the vote.

A complete copy of the agreement will be available at the vote. Your officers, WSNA Nurse Rep (Sue Dunlap), WSNA Nurse Organizer (Tara Barnes) and WSNA Legal Counsel (Pamela Chandran) will be present for questions. Again, voting must be in person, but we are excited to see you all there!

In solidarity,
your officers:
Lacen Potter, RN, Co-Chair
Shannon Lauder, BSN, RN, Co-Chair
Robyn Tilton, RN, Secretary
Shawna Smith, RN, Treasurer
Kelly Pearson, RN, Grievance Officer
Olga Hoagland, RN, Membership Coordinator
Zak Thatcher, RN, Historian

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Sue Dunlap at sdunlap@wsna.org.