Bargaining Update – Day 11
Posted Feb 7, 2025
February 7, 2025
Thank you to all the 34 RNs who joined us at the bargaining table for our 11th session today—your presence makes a difference!
The employer presented a comprehensive counterproposal with some movement on key issues, and we are close to agreement on some, but they left several of our proposals unanswered. We urged them to return with counter offers rather than trying to unilaterally implement changes in your working conditions. Here are the latest updates:
- Per Diem language (not including home care): We are close to an agreement that would offer the nurse a choice of a Tier 1 position with the current contract language, or a new Tier 2 Per Diem position. Tier 2 per diem would have additional hour availability requirements, holiday requirements, and weekend requirements, but with additional compensation 20% and just cause! (EHCS Addendum 1 already has Tier 1 and Tier 2)
- BSN - Incentivized, not required: We are close to an agreement on language we proposed where the employer will cease enforcing the BSN requirement and all nurses who complete their BSN within 3 years of hire, or 3 years of ratification of this contract, will receive a $2,000 bonus.
- Continuing Education – We are close to an agreement that will increase your continuing education fund from $500 to $750 for work-related education opportunities and related expenses for all full-time and part-time nurses. Additionally it would allow to access pay of up to 100 percent of your regularly scheduled working hours from your continuing education fund when attending approved training on a regularly scheduled day off.
- Year-for-Year Credit: While the employer moved slightly by proposing advancing years of experience (longevity) increases six months sooner, this doesn’t fully address long-standing wage disparities. We proposed a phased approach to correct past undervaluation and improve retention.
- Ghost Steps: We are making progress, the employer worked with our proposal to eliminate ghost steps and proposed to move forward to implement this in January 2026. We appreciate the employer working with us but still have concerns this delay could hurt retention efforts.
- Break Relief Nurses: Management verbally committed to hiring more nurses but only promised a "good faith effort" to assign adequate break relief. We are pushing for stronger guarantees, so breaks don’t burden coworkers.
- Incentive Pay MOU: We were disappointed that the employer has continually declined to renew the MOU that we worked hard to create with the employer. The employer has refused to renew it so far, yet we have seen managers deviate from the incentive pay terms outlined in the MOU when offering incentive pay. Refusing to renew the MOU and the unilateral changes made by management have caused confusion and mistrust among nurses after not receiving the promised incentive pay. We hope the employer reconsiders and returns to the table with an agreement to extend or at least a counterproposal so we can have a clear understanding of how incentive pay works.
- Vacation: We also brought up the employer's rejection of a well-thought-out proposal that established a minimum number of nurses who could take vacation time at once. Our proposal accounted for the number of nurses working in that department and would scale to different units or with growth over time. Since declining our proposal, we have seen management try to implement changes on their own, decreasing the number of nurses allowed to take a vacation in some departments. We find this unacceptable. We want a fair system so nurses can take their hard-earned time off. If current staffing doesn't allow nurses to take time off, the employer must hire more staff.
IMPORTANT: We need you to attend the next Evergreen Board of Commissioners meeting – Tuesday, 2/18 at 5:45 PM: meet in the lobby of Tan building, just outside the TAN 250 Board Room. We need you to show up. We know life is busy, and many people live far away. Please find a way. It’s important for you and your families to attend! We had good attendance last time, numbers will show how important this is for you and the best patient care for the community.
Other Upcoming Events
- Monday, 2/10 at 8 PM: Bargaining Update: “Nightcap with negotiators” on Teams. Come join us on the Teams call to get updates on the most recent session and ask your questions.
- Thursday, 2/13 at 8 AM: Bargaining update: “Breakfast with bargainers” on Teams. Come join us on the Teams call to get updates on the most recent session and ask your questions.
- Monday, 2/17 at 8 PM: Bargaining Update: “Nightcap with negotiators” on Teams. Come join us on the Teams call to get updates on the most recent session and ask your questions.
- Tuesday, 2/18 at 5:45 PM: Evergreen Board of Commissioners meeting – meet in the lobby of Tan building, just outside the TAN 250 Board Room. We need you to show up. We know life is busy, and many people live far away. Please find a way. It’s important for you and your families to attend! We had good attendance last time, numbers will show how important this is for you and the best patient care for the community.
- Thursday, 2/20 at 8 AM: Bargaining update: “Breakfast with bargainers” on Teams. Come join us on the Teams call to get updates on the most recent session and ask your questions.
- Next Bargaining Session: 2/21 at 9 AM (or drop in on a break): Join the extended bargaining team in Tan 250 Board room. We anticipate both WSNA and the Employer presenting counter proposals, and hopefully making progress to an agreement. Please come be part of this important bargaining date. Even if it’s just dropping in, it makes a huge difference!
Social Media and Upcoming Events:
Social media: Keep an eye on social media for updates. If you have something to say and are willing to make a quick video clip we want to hear from you!
Follow up on Instagram, Facebook, or our web page
https://www.instagram.com/wsna_evergreen/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/evergreenrns
https://www.wsna.org/union/evergreen-healthcare
Check Your Membership Status
Your membership in WSNA builds power and shows you are actively supporting your union and are behind what we are all trying to accomplish.
We cannot slow down! We all need all WSNA nurses to join in and stand up to remind Evergreen that high-quality patient care relies on high-quality nurses. Your participation makes the difference. Together, we are powerful. Together, we will win.
WSNA Wednesdays
Wear your WSNA shirt to work on Wednesday! If you still don't have a shirt, contact unit reps, CAT members, and local unit officers. Better yet, ask your coworkers what sizes they need and help us get shirts to them!
IMPORTANT – if you are told not to wear your T-shirt at work, ask if it would lead to discipline if you don’t change into a scrub top. If you are told it would lead to discipline, change into a scrub top, but write down who said that, where you were, and when it happened. If you see anyone wearing anything but scrub tops in clinical areas, note when and who it was. If, for example, your department had custom t-shirts made and they are worn to work in clinical areas, and you are not allowed to wear a WSNA shirt, take note of it and contact Bret Percival at BPercival@wsna.org or send a brief text to 206-471-0876. (Email is preferred for documentation and tracking.)
In solidarity,
Your Bargaining Team
Theresa Blazer, Holly Baker, Alicia O’Neal, Nikki Paulson, Sandy Gott, Ryan O’Neill Hawkins, Carol Flaming, Jaclyn Miller, Karen Lasota, Lexi Overa
Questions? Contact your WSNA Officers at localofficers@eh-nurses.com.