Washington State Nurses Association -Local Units

Children's Medical Center

Home > Labor Relations > Local Units > This Local Unit

Contract

Download (PDF)

Rules

Download (PDF)

Contacts

Local Unit Officers

Co-Chair:
Edna Cortez

Co-Chair:
Jeremy King

Grievance Officer:
Open

Membership Coordinator:
Bill Berko

WSNA Staff Nurse Representative

Rosie Tillotson, RN, MSN
206-575-7979, Ext. 3039

Meeting

All Nurses - Join Us! Join your Local Unit Officers In a discussion regarding the proposed Incentive Plans Seattle Children’s has proposed two Incentive Plans

Discussion | Q&A
Please bring your concerns & questions!

November 19th, 7:30– 9:30 AM
Room: M115
November 24th, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
Small Dinning Room #2
Please Plan to Attend!

Local Unit Officer Open Positions

Sept 3, 2008

Your Local Unit Officers are recruiting for:

Secretary/Treasurer – Keeps all records and minutes of the meetings of the unit or its Executive Committee and responsible for all written correspondence. Also, the Treasurer keeps an itemized account of all funds the unit receives or disburses, maintains all financial records of the unit and provides a written report at all meetings of the unit.

Grievance Officer – Assists staff nurses in resolving disputes between management and staff with the goal of accomplishing this at the lowest possible level. Communication by the Grievance Officer with the grievant, the Unit Representative, the Local Unit Chairperson and WSNA Nurse Representative is essential.

If you are interested in becoming involved and would like to help out your peers, please contact your Local Unit Officers or Rosie Tillotson at rtillotson@wsna.org or 206-575-7979, ext. 3039.

Important Reminder

If you are called into a meeting with your Supervisor, Director or Clinical Nurse Specialist, you have the right to have representation during your investigatory or discipline meeting.

Remember, a meeting can take place when your representative is available at your request, do not feel pressured into a meeting without one.

Contact one of your Local Unit Officers or:
Rosie Tillotson RN, MSN
WSNA Nurse Representative
206-575-7979 ext 3039
rtillotson@wsna.org

Document Library

Newsletters

Please note: All items in the document library are in PDF format unless otherwise noted.

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.

Tip: to save PDF documents to your computer, right click on the link and select "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As..." Select the location on your computer where you want to save the PDF file, and click "Save."