Your WSNA team of registered nurses met with management for the ninth contract bargaining session on Thursday, Jan. 31.
We reached a Tentative Agreement on language regarding our Sick Leave article which added Washington Paid Sick Leave provisions.
Some of the outstanding issues we’re continuing to work on include:
- Per Diems: The Employer wants to increase the minimum monthly work requirements and decrease the associated premium pay.
- Workplace violence: The Employer does not agree with certain parts of our proposal. We are working to hold the employer accountable to ensure our safety in the workplace.
- Wages: WSNA offered a fair counterproposal and we are waiting for management’s response.
- Rest between shifts: Management’s proposal is to pay us less when we work without the contractually agreed time off between shifts. WSNA considers this a safety issue related to fatigue due to long shifts.
- Rest breaks: WSNA believes that each RN is able to determine when it’s safe to take a break. The Employer wants to force us to take breaks when they tell us to.
- Staffing: We continue to press our proposal to enhance staffing and to ensure meaningful involvement in staffing decisions.
We feel we have gained some momentum and plan to keep that going at our next planned session on Feb. 25.
In solidarity,
Clarise Mahler, Chair (CCU); hapilark@gmail.com
Debbie Pronk, Grievance Officer (PACU); dppbee@gmail.com
Jomay Ruiz, Secretary/Treasurer (FMC); ruiz.jomay@gmail.com
Linda Snyder, Membership Officer (7 Silver); lsnyder1@eastern.edu
Val Artamonova, Membership Officer (Home Hospice); valeriya.art@gmail.com
Jessica Taylor – 6 Silver; Holly Baker – ED; Lexi Overa – ED; Beth Selander – OR; Caine Ballew – Float Pool; Charina Alvarez – PACU; Theresa Blazer – FMC; Ed Zercher, RN, WSNA Nurse Rep (ezercher@wsna.org); and Terri Williams, MS, RN, WSNA Nurse Rep (twilliams@wsna.org)
