Washington State Nurses Association -Local Units

United General Hospital

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Contract

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Rules

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Contacts

Local Unit Officers

Co-Chair:
Mary T. Rogers, RN

Secretary:
Beverly Laudermilk, RN

Treasurer:
Open

Grievance Officer:
Denise M. Dragovich, RN

Grievance Officer:
Gloria Cutler, RN

Membership Coordinator:
Theresa A. Huizenga, RN

WSNA Staff Nurse Representative

Kate Boyle, RN
206-575-7979, Ext. 3022

Contract Vote!

We are proud to announce that the WSNA Negotiation Team and the administration at United General have reached a tentative agreement on the new contract. The new wage package is very competitive and agreement on several improvements to working conditions has been reached.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 - Alder & Birch Conference Room

7:00 AM – 9:00 AM
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

The proposed contract, with the new changes and a detailed vote summary, will be available at the vote. Only members have voting rights. However, you may join on the day of the vote, provided you pay for 3 months of dues and complete a membership application.

Your Negotiation Team wants to thank you for your generous donation of vacation hours to compensate for time they have spent at the table representing you! Again, thank you, and we'll see you at the vote!

Negotiations Update

May 14, 2008

Your WSNA Team and United General Hospital Team have exchanged proposals and counterproposals, including economic issues. We continue to make progress with additional tentative agreements concerning positive changes to working conditions, which is of mutual interest. Hard work and a lot of time have been invested as we strive to improve the accuracy of contract language. Due to multiple scheduling conflicts, we will reconvene on May 27th.

April 15, 2008

Your WSNA Negotiation Team and United General Hospital management has had good, in-depth communication with positive participation from everyone. Our interests appear close and we are working through the details.

The United General management team will respond to WSNA’s economic proposal during our next session.

Document Library

Newsletters

November 2007 (186 KB)
May 2007 (103 KB)
March 2006 (108 KB)
July 2005 (83 KB)

Meeting Minutes

Conf Comm 1/3/06 (15 KB)

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.

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