Washington State Nurses Association -Local Units

Benton-Franklin Health Department

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Contract

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Contacts

Local Unit Officers

Co-Chair:
Nancy Klotz
W: (509) 547-9737 x240

Co-Chair:
Gretchen Patrick
W: (509) 531-8752

Secretary:
Marjorie Lindholm
W: (509) 586-0207

Treasurer:
Janet Brodie
W: (509) 460-4267

Grievance Officer:
Gretchen Patrick
W:(509) 531-8752

WSNA Staff Nurse Representative

Margaret Conley, ARNP, RN
206-575-7979, Ext. 3012

Contract Vote

November 14, 2008 - Upcoming Meeting

When: November 24, 2008
Where: Room #2 at the BFHD Office
Time: 12:00 - 13:00

Come ask questions and hear about upcoming negotiations.

Unity = Strength

October 2, 2008 - Contract Ratified!

Congratulations on ratifying your new contract by a 100% “YES” vote by all those who voted!
Many thanks to the negotiations team for all of their hard work!

Please bring your lunch and come to a Local Unit Meeting on Oct 20th in the BFHD office at 12-1pm. Margaret Conley, WSNA Nurse Rep will be there to talk with us about the contract and budget issues.

September 12, 2008 - Contract Vote Scheduled!

Please come and vote on your new contract and thank your Negotiations Team for their hard work!

The vote will be held at the Benton-Franklin Health District office on Sept. 22, 2008 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Copies of the contract will be available for review at the vote and the attorney from WSNA who helped with negotiations will be there to help answer any questions you might have.

Contract Negotiation News

August 1, 2008

Your WSNA Bargaining Team met with Management on July 24th in a third negotiation session.

We have several Tentative Agreements that have to be taken to the county Board of Health, and when approved will be part of the new contract you will have the opportunity to vote on. The next Board meeting is not until Sept 17th, 2008 but we hopeful that they will meet in special session to address this contract.

Tentative Agreements have been reached relating to the following issues.
Please talk directly with your Local Unit Bargaining team for details on the items of interest to you.

Wage Increases
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) wage increases for the next two years
Access to Trained Interpreters
Conference Committee agenda language
Bargaining Unit Rosters
Opportunity for a Nurse to Attend Health District Board meetings
A Management/WSNA group will work together during the next six months to develop a Substance Abuse Testing document.

Please continue to support your Bargaining Unit Team who has done a superb job of representing you and your needs in these long, and contentious bargaining sessions.

We will notify you as soon as there is further news! You will be notified of the date of the contract vote as soon as that can be determined.

July 7, 2008

Two negotiating sessions have been held. At the last session the Health District gave a proposal that was not acceptable.

WSNA presented a counter-proposal which the management team will present to the Board of Commissioners at their July meeting.

The next negotiation session is scheduled for July 25, 2008. Watch for updates!

Remember to support your negotiation team! In unity there is power!

Labor Studies School

IT IS FREE! Classes start in September 2008 thru June 2009.
Three tracks are available with a variety of classes! Classes include:

What does the law say about Unions?
What is a grievance and what does it mean to me?
What are negotiations and how do they work?
What do Local Unit Officers do?

You can choose a track or mix and match classes to meet your interests! For info or to register check on line at www.wsna.org/labor/labor-studies-school or call 1-800-231-8482, ext. 3011

Current Issue

Short Staffing = No Breaks = Unsafe Patient Care

The issue of meal and rest breaks has plagued nurse for many years. It has never been about nurses not wanting to take their breaks. It is about real concerns related to staffing and the ability to provide SAFE Patient Care. It is about hospitals having enough STAFF to meet the requirements of the law to provide rest breaks.

Missed meal and rest breaks have a direct relationship to short staffing which can lead to unsafe patient care. Missed meal and rest breaks are a direct result of the lack of commitment to provide adequate staffing. Missed meal and rest breaks force you to work exhausted and lead to increased medical and medication errors, thus putting both Your Patients - and YOU - in jeopardy.

We don’t think it is unreasonable to expect to be able to stop and rest for 15 minutes every 4 hours … do you?

As a Registered Nurse working in Washington:

Did You Know?

You are entitled to an unpaid meal period of one-half (1/2) hour if you work five (5) or more hours.
You are entitled to one (1) fifteen minute break halfway through every four (4) hours of work.
You are entitled to compensation if you are required to remain on duty or in your unit during your meal period.
You are entitled to compensation for your missed rest breaks.
Short staffing results in you not getting your breaks and in unsafe patient care.

WSNA Is Fighting For You!

Filed grievances at numerous facilities on missed breaks, Settlement reached at Virginia Mason Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham.
Won Arbitration decisions on missed breaks at Sacred Heart Medical Center, Yakima Regional Medical & Heart Center.
Pursuing the Department of Labor & Industries to change State Regulations on missed Breaks for Nurses.

What You Can Do!

Follow your contract, if you miss your meal/break period, document on your time card and keep your own personal record of missed breaks.
Complete an ADO form and distribute to your manager with a copy to your local unit chair and your WSNA Nurse Representative
To file a complaint with the L & I, notify your Nurse Representative at WSNA for the paperwork and instructions.

Resources from ANA

ANA's "The Importance of Belonging" (PDF; 817KB)

Membership

Become a Member

Want to have a voice in your local unit? Want to be able to vote on your contract? Join WSNA today! Simply download and complete the WSNA Membership Application form, and return it to us by fax or mail.

Have you moved? Changed your name? Changed your FTE? Gone on LOA?

Don't forget to notify WSNA to ensure that your membership information is correct and that you are paying the right amount of dues. Your employer may not inform WSNA of these changes in a timely fashion… It’s up to you!

It's simple. Just complete the Change of Information form and return it to us by fax or mail.

Help us keep your records accurate by letting us know right away when there are changes.

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