Virginia Mason Medical Center

This issue originated back in 2005 when Virginia Mason Hospital made it mandatory for nurses to wear a mask during the course of their entire shift (excluding while using the restroom, in the break room or cafeteria) if they elected to decline the influenza vaccination.  WSNA believes:

• All-day masking has no data to support its mandate;
• Masking requirement set forth by VMMC is not consistent with CDC guidelines;
• This masking requirement for RNs who elect to decline the influenza vaccination is purely punitive and attempts to publicly ostracize someone who may have contradictions to receiving the vaccine.

Earlier in the year, the NLRB reversed the 2006 decision of Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Gregory Meyerson, and held that mandatory masking for RNs who declined receiving the flu vaccination is a mandatory subject of bargaining under federal law.  The Board sent the case back down to the ALJ for consideration of other technical defenses.  On November 25, 2011, the same ALJ ruled that Virginia Mason’s refusal to bargain over masking was justified on other grounds.

Despite this setback, WSNA is determined to proceed to challenge the masking policy, and again, will be appealing this decision to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).  

For questions contact WSNA Nurse Representative Ed Zercher at ezercher@wsna.org.

WSNA members voted on Tuesday, January 11th to accept the contract as proposed with a resounding “YES”!!!

Summary details of contract changes are available by downloading and viewing this document: WSNA/Virginia Mason Hospital Contract General Summary and Highlights (PDF).  Upon receiving all signatures, the final version of the entire contract will also be available online on this page.

There is still time to donate vacation hours to your Negotiating team members who donated hundreds of hours of their time to negotiations.  VMMC has agreed to match all donated hours and pay this out in hourly wages to the team.  A donation form can be found by going to WSNA.org then “Find your local Unit” then Virginia Mason.

A big thanks to everyone that helped make this possible and congratulations on a very good three year contract!

Ed Zercher BSN, RN
WSNA Nurse Representative

Date: Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
Time: 6:00 am – 9:00 am and again from 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Place: Lindeman F & G

Items that your Negotiating team worked hard to attain (highlights only):

Term: 3 year contract term that will expire on November 16th of 2013

Premiums: Increase in Night Shift Differential from $4/Hr to $4.25/HR (starting date of ratification)

Wages:

• 2% (Retroactive to 1st pay period beginning on or after Nov. 16, 2010)
• 2% (1st pay period beginning on or after Nov. 16, 2011)
• 2.25% (1st pay period beginning on or after Nov. 16, 2012)

There are several other workplace issues that we also negotiated in order to benefit RNs throughout VM.

Take-aways that Management proposed and WSNA fought off:

• Floating – Mgt. wanted to be able to float RNs more than once per shift.
• Layoff Procedure - Mgt. proposed drastic changes to the layoff language.
• Probationary Period - Mgt. proposed to double the probationary period for new hires from 520 hours to 1040 hours.

Your WSNA Negotiation Team strongly recommends a "YES" vote!

We will have a comprehensive summary of all proposed changes available on the day of voting, or download this document: WSNA/Virginia Mason Hospital Contract General Summary and Highlights (PDF).

Please Consider Donating 1 Day of Time Off to the Negotiating Team

Your Negotiating Team Members have volunteered all of their time for our negotiation sessions and mediation. We are requesting the donation of vacation time to these RNs. VMMC has agreed to MATCH all donated hours towards the Team and pay out as hourly wages! Donation Forms will be available at the vote and from your Local Unit Reps. You can also download and use this form: Donation of Time Off Authorization Form (PDF). Be sure to fill in the words "WSNA Negotiation Team" in the box labeled "Employee Receiving Donation." We are asking that each nurse donate at minimum of 1 hour of vacation time to these most deserving members for a job well done. Be on the lookout for your Local Unit Officer Nomination Forms arriving in the mail!

Here is your chance to donate to your WSNA Negotiating Team Members!    We are asking VMMC RNs to donate at least one hour to this group of volunteers to help compensate them for their many hours spent in the negotiations.  Be sure to fill in the words,  "WSNA Negotiating Team" in the box labeled "Employee Receiving Donation".  The team did an amazing job with the many difficulties faced!  Sincere thanks!

Your WSNA Negotiating Team has met for a total of 5 bargaining sessions with VMMC management.

Virginia Mason came to the table with a number of “take-aways” which would have serious negative impact on your work life.  Your fellow nurses on your WSNA bargaining team have been working hard throughout the process ensure that Virginia Mason does not take away various workplace protections that the bargaining unit has worked hard over the years to attain.  Despite our feeling that we were getting fairly close to a settlement agreement yesterday, Virginia Mason told us that they felt that we were still too far apart on some issues to conclude negotiations.

We are now working on scheduling additional date(s) for negotiations.  WSNA remains committed to the process and will work hard to fight off management’s proposed take-aways.

It is important for all nurses to stand united for a positive outcome.  Your Negotiating Team members have volunteered considerable time for this process and will continue to do so until we reach mutual agreement.  We are asking nurses to consider the donation of vacation hours to your fellow nurses on your negotiating team and have received agreement from Virginia Mason that they will match these hours one for one and divide all donated hours among the team members to assist in compensating them for some of their time.

Some of the issues that remain unresolved that could have serious impacts on the working conditions of RNs at Virginia Mason are:

• Management’s proposal that nurses can be required to float more than once a shift;
• Management’s proposal to extend probationary periods for new RNs;
• Management’s proposal to make unfavorable layoff language changes;
• Management’s proposal to lengthen the eligibility period to access Family and Medical Leave;
• Amount of wage increases and differentials;
• Ensuring that foreign-educated nurses get proper credit for relevant work experience;
• Parking and RN safety measures.

Stay tuned for ways that you may be able to assist your negotiating team and all RNs at VMMC in bringing these negotiations to a successful conclusion.

Your WSNA Negotiating Team members are: Jane Hill-Littlejohn, Sue Dunn, Jim O'Halloran, Pat Callow-Borgeson, Nancy Crutcher and Theresa Williams.

In Unity!
Ed Zercher, BSN, RN, WSNA Nurse Representative

Your WSNA Negotiating team has met with administration October 27th and November 2nd. 

Both sides have presented initial proposals and economic packages.  There is much work left to do and your negotiating team RNs are committed to protecting your best interests throughout the process.  Our next scheduled date to meet will be November 9th.

The RNs at VMMC have been the driving force behind placing VMMC on the map as a respected health care provider.  WSNA strives to stress this to management and reiterate your daily contributions to VMs success.  Stay tuned for updates.

Your Negotiating Team Members are volunteers that have committed to representing the needs of all RNs at VMMC.  Management has agreed to allow RNs to donate accrued vacation time to the Negotiating team and match all donated hours at a rate of 1 to 1.  All VMMC RNs will have a chance to donate to our team for the time that they are spending in negotiations that would otherwise be unpaid.  Stay tuned for details on this and thank you in advance for your support.  Our October 7th Sidewalk Social Drawing winners have been chosen!!

Please offer a big congrats to the following RNs:
Edith Frates RN- winner of a Kindle Reader!
Gloria Osorio RN- winner of $20 Barnes and Noble Certificate
Sunny Rockom RN- winner of $20 Barnes and Noble Certificate
Theresa Williams RN- winner of Movie Tickets package
Lucy Travers-O’Neill RN- winner of Movie Tickets package
Liz Long RN- winner of $15 Arosa Coffee Certificate
Brigitte Reichstadt RN- winner of $15 Arosa Coffee Certificate

These prizes were brought to you by your local Unit officers:
Jane Hill-Littlejohn RN, Local Unit Chairperson
Sue Dunn RN, Grievance Officer
Pat Callow-Borgeson RN, Secretary
Jim O’Halloran RN, Membership

UNITED WE WILL PREVAIL!

- Ed Zercher, BSN, RN, WSNA Nurse Representative

Negotiations have begun!  On October 12th 2010 your WSNA Negotiating Team went to the table with Management to start bargaining for our next contract cycle.  We submitted our first proposals and will meet again on October 27th for our next round of negotiating.  Your priorities remain our #1 goal as we proceed through this process.

Your Negotiating team members are:
Sue Dunn, Jane Hill-Littlejohn, Jim O’Halloran, Pat Callow-Borgeson, Nancy Crutcher and Theresa Williams... They are all working very hard to protect your best interests!

Thanks to everyone that helped make our October 7th Sidewalk Social such a great success.  Stay tuned for our next communication when we will be announcing the big winners from our Sidewalk Social drawing!

United we make a difference!

Ed Zercher, BSN, RN
WSNA Nurse Representative

Your WSNA Negotiation Team has met and begun to review all of the surveys submitted by our members as well as other contract issues of concern. We will keep you informed throughout this process.

We have scheduled a pre-negotiation "Sidewalk Social" to kick-off the proceedings and to let all VMMC RNs know how important they are. There will be available: Information, updates, food, drinks and prizes for VMMC RNs who stop by. Mark your calendars for this October 7th, 6:30am to 4:00pm event located on sidewalks around VMMC.

WSNA values the experience, opinions and contributions of all VMMC RNs!

All VMMC Registered Nurses
The new contracts are in on DVD!

Take a minute to stop by on May 3^rd between 8am and noon to pick up your copy. WSNA representatives will be located in room "Correa A" in the cafeteria during these hours and available to answer any questions you may have.

We have also posted an online survey regarding rest breaks at VMMC that we are asking all RNs to complete. The survey may impact how you are compensated for missed Rest Breaks as well as how VMMC ensures that you get the much needed breaks that you are entitled to. This survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VMMCRestBreak as well as WSNA.org under "find your local unit" then "Virginia Mason."

Take the time to make a difference!

In Unity,
Ed Zercher

After more than 9 months of meetings and evidence presentation, VMMC has elected to change scrub changing policies! WSNA filed an Association grievance last year arguing that RNs in restricted areas such as O.R., PACU and EP Lab are mandated to change into hospital scrubs as a unit requirement. This takes place on work time and is therefore time that should be paid. VMMC has agreed to allow 5 minutes after the start of a scheduled shift and 5 minutes before a scheduled shift for nurses to change into and out of scrubs and get paid for that time.

We have just agreed on a settlement offer that provides the following:

1. The staff nurses in Electro-Physiology Department, Operating Rooms and PACU will be allowed 10 minutes of paid changing time for every shift worked. These RNs will, therefore, be allowed to report to their work station 5 minutes after the scheduled shift start time and will be released 5 minutes before shift end time.

2. Upon request, staff nurses in the Electro-Physiology Department, Operating Rooms and PACU will be granted an additional paid 10 minutes added to their lunch (5 minutes before and 5 minutes after) if they desire to leave specified areas requiring them to change in and out of scrubs. All requests made before the completion of the first hour of the nurse’s shift shall be granted provided patient care is not compromised.

This agreement included back payments totaling over $40,000!!!!!!! This equates to an average of about $363.00 for each nurse working in these areas. The Settlement Payment is slated to come out on your April 23rd paychecks.

Please take the time to thank your WSNA officers that worked so hard to make sure that Virginia Mason was willing to do the right thing!! They deserve your appreciation.

Jane Hill-Littlejohn RN, Local Unit Chairperson
Jim O’Halloran RN, Membership
Susan Dunn RN, Grievance Officer
Pat Callow-Borgeson RN, Secretary

Much thanks from WSNA for their ongoing dedication to Nurse Advocacy.

Virginia Mason, through a press release to the media (without any notification to its nurses or WSNA in violation of a 9th circuit court mandate) on the afternoon of October 1st stated that “it will require all staff, including physicians, nurses, other clinicians and non-direct, patient-care staff, to receive the H1N1 vaccine, in addition to the seasonal flu vaccine, by Nov. 30 as a fitness-for-duty requirement.”

When the media brought this to our attention, WSNA immediately pointed out that Virginia Mason defied the 9th Circuit Court decision with its intention to implement a new requirement of H1N1 vaccination as a fitness-for-duty.  This is a change in working conditions and must be bargained with WSNA, which they clearly have not done.

Due to pressure from WSNA, Virginia Mason has since issued a retraction to say that “There is no change to Virginia Mason's flu policy for union represented nurses. Represented nurses who do not get the H1N1 vaccine or the seasonal flu vaccine are required to wear a mask during the flu season.”

This is a clear victory for WSNA nurses at VM and around the State!

If VM is so concerned by safety, why don’t they follow CDC guidelines?

Virginia Mason’s policy to require all nurses who are not vaccinated against the seasonal and H1N1 vaccine is NOT evidence based and does NOT comply with CDC guidelines.  Current CDC recommendations do NOT call for non-vaccinated health care personnel to wear a mask at all times while on duty.

According to the current CDC guidelines:

• No studies have definitively shown that mask used by either infectious patients or health-care personnel prevents influenza transmission.
• Surgical masks should be worn by health care personnel (whether vaccinated or not) when in close contact (within 3 ft) with a patient who has symptoms of a respiratory infection.
• N-95 respirators should be worn by health care personnel (whether vaccinated or not) when in close contact (within 3 ft) with a patient diagnosed or suspected of having the H1N1 virus.

VM’s requirement that all nurses who are not vaccinated wear a mask at all times while on duty is merely a punitive measure against those who choose not to be vaccinated.  It ignores standard precautions while creating a false sense of security for patients, the public and nurses.

VM - If you really care about patient and nurse safety:   

• Why don’t you follow CDC guidelines?
• Why don’t you provide adequate and appropriate equipment to the nurses?

Stay tuned for updates.  Please contact WSNA Nurse Representative Ed Zercher, BSN, RN, at ezercher@wsna.org or 206-575-7979 x.3022 for questions and with any information. Go to WSNA's Flu Information Website for more information.