MEDIA ADVISORY: Hundreds of Providence Sacred Heart Nurses to gather at Riverfront Park for “Solidarity March” Tuesday, June 21
June 20, 2016
The registered nurses of Sacred Heart, represented by the Washington State Nurses Association, will demonstrate their unity in advance of their fourth day of federal mediation by marching through Riverfront Park.
WHAT: “Solidarity March”
WHEN: Tuesday, June 21, 8 a.m.
WHERE: Meet-up on the corner of W. Spokane Falls Blvd and N. Post Street, near the Bloomsday runners sculpture at Riverfront ParkNurses will march through Riverfront Park and along W. Spokane Falls Blvd
WHO: Members of the 1,787 Registered Nurses at Sacred Heart represented by WSNA
WHY: The Sacred Heart RNs want safe nurse staffing at the hospital so that they can give their patients safe, high quality care. And they want predictability in their benefits – something Sacred Heart wants to take away.
WSNA and Providence Sacred Heart management have now met 13 times, including three sessions with a federal mediator, beginning on Dec. 15, 2015. Enough is enough! The most recent mediation session was held June 8. The next scheduled mediation session is Tuesday, June 28.
Primary unresolved issues:
- Safe Nurse Staffing - WSNA has proposed contract language that each unit in Sacred Heart Medical Center’s facilities shall maintain staffing levels that ensure safe patient care and the safety of the nurses. We have also proposed that staffing levels shall be maintained so that nurses receive meal and rest breaks and are able to utilize available time off from work. Management simply says “NO.”
- Benefit Protection and Predictability - In recent years, nurses have seen retirement and medical benefits cut and cut. This time, Providence wants to be able to try to reduce benefits during the life of the contract. They want to cut back dental and vision, too. The nurses are tired of takeaway after takeaway.
Find the Sacred Heart nurses on Facebook at /NursesAtTheHeart
About WSNA
WSNA is the leading voice and advocate for nurses in Washington state, providing union representation and trainings that allow nurses to reach their full professional potential and focus on caring for patients. WSNA represents more than 17,000 registered nurses who provide care in hospitals, clinics, schools and community and public health settings across the state. For more than 100 years, WSNA has championed issues that support nurses, advance professional standards and improve the health of individuals and families in Washington.