Your WSNA Nurse Representatives met with OFM on Tuesday July 23, 2024, for coalition bargaining. We also had a follow up meeting with Walter Bracy on July 24, 2024, to discuss our non-economic proposals.

Coalition bargaining on Tuesday July 23, was slow and felt insignificant. The starting raises proposed are between 0-2% for both years. WSNA is told that compensation is still being reviewed and they were unable to engage specifically with us on any proposal that had a financial component.

On Wednesday July 24, WSNA Representatives met with Walter Bracy, DVA HR Operations Manager. We attempted to gain understanding of the distance between our proposals around assigning voluntary overtime shifts and utilizing supplemental nurses. DVAs proposal is to have on-call nurses submit availability for three shifts per week, across two shifts and for two weekends. We continue to agree to disagree that availability practically differs from being scheduled. DVA shared that more availability offered is just availability. WSNA knows in practice, if a nurse offers availability, they are more than likely to be scheduled. WSNA stressed that more availability from on-call nurses is the wrong approach to staffing. We asked if they have tried to hire weekend-only positions, create more part-time FTEs and are told those are not options due to funding for positions. WSNA expressed that many on-call nurses have full time jobs elsewhere and to place part time requirements on them, would likely drive them away especially without financial incentive.

WSNA discussed our proposed language on assignment of voluntary overtime shifts. We see that they have not accepted our language that once a voluntary overtime shift is assigned to a nurse, it will not be removed without mutual agreement. Central office pushed back on this and contends that they need flexibility to assign the least expensive labor to these shifts. WSNA advocates that if FTE nurses agree to fill a gap, it should not be removed for any reason unless the shift is no longer needed at all. We know nurses arrange for childcare and plan for some shifts monetarily in advance. We will continue to work on these issues in bargaining.

• Increased night shift differential for work between 10 pm-6 am
• Reimbursement for annual registered nurse license fees
• Compensation for applicable certifications
• $1.00/hour for specific nurse classifications to answer the call-in phone
• Maintenance of the 5% 24/7 facility premium
• Elimination of wage scale steps that don’t have raises at steps

On Monday July 15, your WSNA Nurse Representatives attended the Safety meeting that is quarterly with Central office. WSNA raised a concern from Walla Walla that CNAs will no longer be required to be CPR certified. We were told that DVA is looking from a legal perspective on the certification requirements for each classification. In short, we feel they are seeking the bare minimum standard they are obligated to maintain. WSNA strongly advocated against this practice and that this is a serious concern for safety and for our nurses’ working conditions. We expressed that it’s contradictory to the American Heart Association’s campaign to have every person be able to perform bystander CPR. We expressed concern on how nurses will know or identify who is or isn’t trained that they can delegate to if they need to.

We need your help with all these items. We are considering a letter writing campaign to the Governor to advocate for raises that will retain our DVA nurses. We need you to speak up to your officers, DON, and leadership that you don’t support a workplace where healthcare providers aren’t required to be CPR certified. Reach out to your local officers or WSNA Nurse Representatives to get involved TODAY.

In Solidarity,

Laurie Robinson- Walla Walla Veterans Home- lrobinson@wsna.org
Alle Machorro- Spokane Veterans Home- amachorro@wsna.org 
Janet Stewart- Washington Soldier’s Home and Washington Veterans Home-JStewart@wsna.org