Press Release

The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), who represents nearly 1300 registered nurses at Sacred Heart Medical Center (SHMC), won an arbitration decision against SHMC for not providing 15 minute rest breaks for the nurses.  The collective bargaining agreement clearly provides for 15 minutes of rest every four hours.  Due to the recent restructure and inadequate staffing at SHMC, the nurses have not been getting their rest breaks.

According to the arbitrator’s decision, the collective bargaining contract “provides that 15–minute breaks shall be provided during each four-hour work period.  The arbitrator is at a loss to see how that language could be any clearer.  The word shall is mandatory; it allows for no managerial discretion whatsoever.”

In addition, the decision stated that “in order to provide quality care, the nurses need occasional rest breaks that allow them to attend to personal needs.  Simply drinking a glass of water or quickly using the bathroom does not suffice.”

The decision orders SHMC to:

1. comply with the collective bargaining agreement and provide the required 15 minute breaks for the nurses.
2. compensate each RN for missed breaks since August 3, 2004.

“We are thrilled with the decision because this is a patient safety issue.  Nurses must have the opportunity to take a break to refresh ourselves in order to provide the quality care that our patients deserve,” said Marty Avey, RN, Local Unit Chair.