Seattle/King County Health Dept. - Supervisors

Here are the facts:
In July 2009, the County presented a blanket proposal to the Coalition of unions for furlough in 2010.

The Coalition responded that because the 2009 furlough had been applied inequitably and because the County would not assure the Coalition that all money saved by furlough would be used to prevent lay-offs, the unions did not wish to bargain together as a Coalition.

WSNA told the County we would be willing to discuss furlough as an individual union if the County wished to make a proposal.

After six days of contract negotiations all proposals have been presented by both WSNA and the County.  The County has not proposed furlough to WSNA for 2010.

As we recently communicated with you,  our WSNA attorney has been in contact with the County and attorneys from other groups working to protect the private information of JHS nurses from former inmates who have submitted a formal request for this information.

WSNA attorneys were successful in getting a Temporary Restraining Order, to stop the release of information.  The County is now required to hold off on releasing any information until August 31, 2009, pending another hearing date which is scheduled for August 28th. 

Watch for more information coming soon. 

FUTURE UPDATES If you want to receive updates in the most timely manner please email your WSNA nurse representative with your personal/ home email address and future updates will be sent to you via email.

August 13, 2009

Benjamin Leifer
Chief Administrative Officer
Seattle King County Public Health
401 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1300
Seattle, Washington 98104

Re: Public Disclosure Request by Inmates Joel Zellmer, Myron C. Wynn for Employee Information

Dear Mr. Leifer:

This is in response to your e-mail of August 7, 2009.

The Washington State Nurses Association has received the information we requested in our letter of July 24, 2009 to Seattle King County Public Health director David Fleming.  We note that the King County Public Disclosure Manual does not incorporate the amendments to the public disclosure law that were passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Christine Gregoire, effective March 2009, specifically addressing public disclosure requests by inmates.

The nurses employed at King County correctional facility have well-founded concerns that disclosure of their full names to inmates may lead to inmates discovering their home telephone numbers and addresses, thereby jeopardizing the employees’ personal safety and the safety of their families and loved ones.  These concerns are legitimate, particularly as both of the inmates who have requested this employee personal information are charged with first degree murder.  Indeed, the nurses and WSNA have conscientiously protected their full names from disclosure to inmates for more than twenty years, despite the County’s efforts to compel such disclosure.  AS the Public Employment Relations Commission and the Washington Court of Appeals have recognized, disclosure of nurses’ full names to inmates is a mandatory subject for collective bargaining.

Accordingly, WSNA hereby requests that the County negotiate regarding the nature of the information to be disclosed in response to these public disclosure requests by inmates.  Please contact Maria Pettit in our office to arrange a mutually-convenient date and time to meet.

We further request that the County postpone disclosure of any personal information concerning nurses employed in County correctional facilities until we have had an opportunity to meet and confer with County management regarding the vital issues of privacy and employee safety involved in this matter.

Sincerely,
Timothy Sears
General Counsel