Holy Family Hospital

Please congratulate the following nurses who have consented to serve as your Local Unit Officers:
 
Chair:  Martha Goodall
Treasurer:  Pat Murrill
Grievance:  Diana Dodson
Membership:  Peggy Smith
Member-At-Large:  Veneta Peterson
 
Please show your support and thank your new Local Unit Officers for their commitment and dedication.
 

Click here to view your new contract.

Individual CDs will be made and mailed out to each nurse as soon as possible. 
 
If you have any questions or concerns please contact:
Debi Bessmer
WSNA Nurse Rep
1-800-231-8482, ext. 3112
dbessmer@wsna.org

Time to Celebrate – And Get Ready For the Future

Last week, by an overwhelming majority, WSNA nurses voted to adopt the collective bargaining agreement negotiated by your WSNA team.  The ratification vote was the culmination of months of negotiations during which your WSNA negotiations team fought to defend core rights in your contract. Please take time to thank your negotiation team members; Martha Goodall, Randy Jarvis, Diana Dodson, Peggy Smith, Sue Kelly, Pat Murrill, Cathy Mitchell and Veneta Peterson. 

This was a difficult contract cycle.  Perhaps hoping to capitalize on recent anti-union assaults such as those in Wisconsin, management proposed to strip years of accomplishments out of the collective bargaining agreement.  By standing united, your WSNA team beat back the worst of it and obtained modest economic benefits, including three years of pay increases and new pay steps.  While your contract remains intact, after watching managements aggressive attempts to undermine your union’s power, your continued involvement and participation is necessary to ensure that our contract continues to be one we can all be proud of.

Along with settling the contract, WSNA has also settled its rest break lawsuit against Providence Holy Family.  As part of the settlement, Holy Family has agreed to begin recording and paying for missed rest breaks, as well as adopt procedures and training protocols that create working conditions that allow nurses to take rest breaks.  Nurses will never leave a patient in need, and the new rest break policy negotiated by WSNA should ensure that nurses can take their rest break knowing that their patients will continue to receive quality care.  Just as we must work together to protect our contract, we need to work together to make this new policy work and ensure that nurses receive the rest breaks they are entitled to and need. 

But for now, take a breath!  We did it!  We have a contract and a new rest break policy that has the promise to improve our working conditions in a real and concrete way.  By working together, we can achieve so much!  Please stay in touch with your WSNA officers and Nurse Rep. Debi Bessmer about any issues at the workplace, including any problems or issues with the implementation of the new rest break policy.   

Please thank your negotiating team for volunteering their time and doing such a great job.

Your new contract will arrive shortly on a user friendly CD.  This CD will contain your contract and much, much more: the nurse practice act, health and safety information, and links to several websites. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact:
Debi Bessmer, BSN, RN
WSNA Nurse Representative
1-800-231-8482 Ext. 3112
dbessmer@wsna.org
 

The Washington State Nurses Association, your local unit officers and Providence Holy Family have reached an agreement related to WSNA’s rest break lawsuit.   WSNA believes that the agreement will permanently and positively change the way rest breaks are handled at the Hospital.  Holy Family will begin recording and paying for missed rest breaks, as well as adopt procedures and training protocols related to rest breaks.  In addition, Holy Family Hospital will offer you some back pay for missed rest breaks in the past.   The agreement goes into effect and is contingent upon ratification of the collective bargaining agreement which will be voted on September 1, 2011.  At that time, WSNA will dismiss its lawsuit against Providence Holy Family.

You have the option of participating in this agreement or choosing not to participate.  If you choose to participate, you may accept the payment from Holy Family Hospital that will be mailed to you by cashing the check.  If you do not want to participate, you must return the check to the Hospital.  By accepting the check, you will waive your right to sue Holy Family Hospital in court for lost wages related to missed rest breaks.

If you have any questions, please contact Debi Bessmer, BSN, RN, your WSNA Nurse Representative at 1-800-231-8482, ext 3112.
 

Your negotiation team has continued to work on our negotiation issues. We are in the process of figuring out what we need to do to move forward from here.

We will do our best to keep you informed as we move forward in this long strenuous process.

This process is not moving as quickly as we all would like but please continue to show your support and unity.

What you can continue to do:

• Watch your mail and email closely for further updates and actions.
• Continue wearing your WSNA buttons.
• Tuesday is Bluesday!!  Wear your blue to work on Tuesday.

Attention Spokane area nurses!  Over 200 nurses signed up to attend the WSNA Spokane area nurses Unity Dinner.  Attached is a news bulletin (PDF; 1.75MB) with pictures and descriptions of the fun filled and energetic event.  See if you recognize any of your fellow nurses enjoying a lovely evening of solidarity and unity together. 

Your fellow nurses on your WSNA bargaining team have been attempting to get a fair contract at Providence Holy Family Hospital since January. We have had six bargaining sessions with Management thus far. During these sessions, HFH has attempted to make numerous, SWEEPING changes to your contract which we believe would, among other things, negatively impact your working conditions at the hospital, your financial security and safe patient care.

We are surprised and disappointed that Holy Family has pressed so hard to gut so many contractual protections that nurses have fought hard to secure through many, many years of hard work. Throughout the negotiations, your WSNA team has been united in defending against this assault on the collective bargaining agreement.

Read this PDF document to learn more about what Providence Holy Family has been up to in negotiations.

Your negotiation team has had three days of negotiations. 

• Despite being the third day of negotiations we are still waiting for management’s complete proposal, including economics.
• So far, Management has proposed over 40 take-aways.  
• Our next negotiation date is scheduled for February 9th.  Please wear blue on this day as a show of support. 
• Please stay tuned for upcoming events and information!

Your negotiation team has had their first day of negotiations. We have presented our full proposal to management and now are awaiting their response. Our next day of negotiations is scheduled for January 26th.

What you can do: Show your support by wearing blue on the days of negotiations and encourage your co-workers to do the same. Watch your mail and email for updates.

United we bargain - Divided we beg

The vote for the health insurance change from the Value Plan to the ProveSelect HSA did NOT pass so all plans will stay the same, which are:

Providence Primary Plan (PHP), Group Health (GHC), and Group Health (GHC) Welcome Plan and the Value Plan

• Uninterrupted breaks are about your safety and the safety of your patients. If you are not well rested, fatigue may negatively impact your safety as well as that of your patients. This is really about adequate staffing to ensure you have the resources to safely leave your patients for an uninterrupted break. Payment of missed breaks puts hospitals on notice that their nurses need to get their breaks or there will be consequences.
• WSNA believes that not all Holy Family nurses are being afforded the breaks they are due and are not being correctly compensated when a break is missed. We have therefore, initiated a lawsuit in order to protect your rights, your safety and your patient's safety.

If you have questions or any information you feel may be helpful, please feel free to contact your WSNA Nurse Rep:

Debi Bessmer, WSNA Nurse Rep
1-800-231-8482, ext. 3112
dbessmer@wsna.org

• Holy Family Hospital management has decided to implement the new retirement program for nurses even though we are mid contract.  Your management has stated the changes are equivalent to the current plan.  WSNA is in strong opposition to this and has filed a grievance.
• The new retirement plan shifts all the investment risk onto the nurse and will not provide a defined, guaranteed benefit. 
• During this grievance process we ask you to follow management’s instructions.
• If you have any questions contact:

Debi Bessmer BSN,RN
WSNA Nurse Rep
dbessmer@wsna.org
1-800-231-8482 ext 3112