News

6/1/10 - Ocean Beach Nurses: Your contracts are here!

We are holding a Local Unit Meeting on June 7, 2010, 4-6pm, and we would like to see you there! It is just a “drop in” get together in the cafeteria, and we will give you your contract discs, answer questions, and hear any of your concerns.

Together, we have made a difference in your work environment, but the journey continues—we strive to win the fight for safe staffing and adequate break and lunch periods. See you all soon!

4/1/10 - Vote Results

Nurses of ocean beach, you have a contract!
The vote was overwhelmingly positive

Stay tuned during the coming weeks—we will get the contracts signed, then post them on the website and distribute them to you in disc form as soon as they are available—this process takes a little time, but we will keep you posted.

Upcoming local unit meeting in April – tba

We must talk about staffing and other concerns.
Contact your Local Unit Officers or Nurse Rep with any questions – see you soon! 

3/15/10 - Negotiation Update

Hello, Bargaining Unit!  On March 12, 2010, WSNA and Ocean Beach Hospital met for a first negotiation session.  We exchanged and explained proposals, and management assured us they want to work with us collaboratively.  That being said, management has made a few proposals we must further discuss, and your negotiating team will meet again to evaluate the issues. 

Stay tuned — more sessions to come, starting
Unity is the key — your team is working hard for you!

Together Everyone Achieves More!

3/9/10 - Negotiation Update

Negotiations are Here!

Thank you to everyone who turned in their staffing surveys.

We start Negotiation meetings on March 12, 2010.  Your team is ready — supporting them is supporting your best interests and your rights!  We will update you with electronic bulletins (in home e‑mail), local unit meetings, and with updates on the WSNA website. 

Here we go — Stay tuned for more updates.

1/14/10 - Negotiations Coming Up

We will begin negotiations soon.  We are currently in the process of trying to select dates and times for negotiation meetings.  Please give kudos to your negotiating team, and let them know of any new concerns from you that they may not have already heard.  We will keep you updated with postcards and local unit meetings about the progress of your negotiations.  Be sure that WSNA has your home e-mail address, if you have one, as electronic updates and other WSNA news can be sent to you via e-mail.

One of the most important Legislation Day events is coming.  Please mark your calendars for February 8, 2010. Look at our website to find out the place and time. We intend to talk to your legislators about meal breaks and break times. Nurses deserve full fifteen minute breaks and uninterrupted meal breaks as much as anyone else in the workforce. It is not only fair and just; adequate breaks promote patient safety. Safety is contingent on alert, rested caregivers, and statistics prove that fact. Management counts on nurses to sacrifice their own comfort and health so that they can continue to staff inadequately and watch the bottom line.

Loopholes in the Mandatory Overtime Law need to be eradicated; management has used loopholes in the law to cover patient care, when hiring more nurses is what is really needed. WSNA is working to both promote rest breaks and tighten the Mandatory Overtime law. Did you know that Washington State does not allow mandatory overtime?  Management cannot make you work overtime except in very particular circumstances, so look at the law--search our website for more information.  

WSNA.org is the place to go on-line!

1)   Great updates on H1N1 flu are on WSNA.org—We recommend following CDC guidelines, and would like to know if your hospital’s policies are causing you any difficulty in doing so.

2)   Our website will give you the latest on Healthcare Reform.

3)   Take a survey on our website about meal breaks and rest breaks—we are gathering this information from our nurses and it is very important.

4)   Under WSNA at Work—Find your local unit—You can access your contract and your local unit officer information there.

Your negotiating team is: Denise Ross, Brad Bell, Marcey Frame, and Melissa Goldberg. They are all making big efforts to promote your rights in the workplace and negotiate a good contract for you. Your team members are also your Local Unit officers. Call or email your Nurse Representative with any questions about the contract:  Judy Marken, email jmarken@wsna.org, phone 206-575-7979 ext. 3117.  Looking forward to seeing you soon!