In mediation session that lasted well into the night, Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), representing more than 1,200 nurses at the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC), reached a tentative agreement with hospital administration. Key issues were resolved surrounding patient safety and nursing recruitment and retention, paving the way for an agreement to be reached.
The tentative agreement comes after months of negotiations during which UWMC nurses were forced to hold an informational picket and candlelight vigil to highlight concerns for patient safety. The agreement will be voted on by UWMC nurses on Oct 15th. The negotiating team is recommending a yes vote. Key components of the agreement include:
- Rest between Shifts – UWMC nurses were able to fight off the hospitals proposal to reduce the time nurses have to rest between shifts. Research studies confirm that the amount of time nurses receive between shifts is directly linked to an increase in negative patient outcomes.
- Economic Package – UWMC nurses will receive a 7.5% pay increase over the life of the contract. In order to recruit and retain qualified nurses in this time of a shortage of nurses, the hospital must have a competitive economic package that is consistent with hospitals throughout the region and the State. The proposed contract will help keep the best and brightest at UWMC.
- Changes in Benefits – After initial hospital proposals threatened to severely limit a nurse’s ability to take vacation time or time off in case of illness, the agreement gives nurses more flexibility in their vacation scheduling. In addition, nurses will not be forced to use all of their vacation days while recovering from illness or tending to a sick family member under the Family & Medical Leave Act.
“The UWMC nurses are very happy to be moving forward in this process. With no reduction in rest between shifts and a wage package that enables the hospital to retain and recruit the best nurses in the region, the RNs are confident that they can continue to provide the excellent care that their patients have come to expect. The RNs at UWMC have been united in their goal of outstanding patient care, safe working conditions and a good quality of life for the nurses and patients at UWMC. With this agreement in place, the nurses can now go back to focusing on providing the best patient care in the region,” said Christine Himmelsbach, RN, WSNA Nurse Representative.
“This was a lengthy and difficult process but we’ve reached an agreement that is fair to UWMC nurses and fair to the patients they care for. The UW nurses fought hard to maintain standards crucial to patient and nurse safety. This is a real victory for both the nurses and patients at UWMC,” said Barbara E. Frye, BSN.RN, WSNA Director of Labor Relations.
