Our WSNA officer team wants to wish all our nurses a Happy Thanksgiving as we move into the holiday weekend. We appreciate every one of you and the care you provide for our community, patients, and each other. In this newsletter nurses can find the following updates

• Tom’s Turkey Drive recap
• Hospital Staffing Committee Update
• Grievance Recap
• Sacred Heart bargaining updates
• Opportunities to get involved

Tom’s Turkey Drive Recap

Our WSNA nurses volunteered to support our community for a second year with Tom’s Turkey Drive! This event is dedicated to helping members of our community have food security for their Thanksgiving meal. Nurses volunteered on Friday and Saturday for three hours blocks- THANK YOU to our amazing nurses! Please let us know if you have any ideas for volunteer events for our nurses.

Hospital Staffing Committee Update

Our hospital staffing committee members have been excited to welcome our new CNO, Deb Gillette as the administrative co-chair to this committee. The committee has been dedicated to enhancing the staffing plan through communication with leadership ensuring it aligns with both patients’ safety standards and the practice aspects of bedside nursing. As of 11/25/25, we have submitted a plan to our COO, Susan Scott, for review and feedback. After we receive her feedback, we will evaluate that feedback and continue moving these plans to the Department of Health, so they are live for 2026. Thank you to all our nurses who have provided feedback along the way. We could not have built these plans without you.

Grievance Recap 

Our union continues to work hard on our nurses behalf to uphold and enforce our contract. We have several grievances covering the following issues

• -Job postings and prioritzing internal candidates over external candidates (impacted departments include ICU)
• -Low census and identifying how management actually seeks volunteers BEFORE assigning a mandatory. Nurses should always ask if the low census is voluntary or mandatory and ensure it’s coded appropriately.
• -Unpaid leaves of absence for nurses. The Employer recently refused a nurse an unpaid leave of absence requiring them to exhaust all their banked time prior. Our contract does not have this requirement and we’ll provide updates as they come.

Sacred Heart Contract Bargaining

Our union brothers and sisters at Sacred Heart are bargaining their union contract. They complete day 2 on 11/25/25 and want to share updates with you. Union solidarity means not only standing with the nurse next to you but also nurses from across our union and we’ll share updates on current campaigns so you can stay informed.

WSNA submitted comprehensive proposals on workplace violence including security at all entrances and implementing a weapons detection system. We also proposed break nurse language and language for all classifications of nurses to receive time and a half premium for working a short notice shift less than 24 hours’ notice. Management emphasized that these proposals would cost money expressed concerns about the efficacy of weapons detection systems.

We do not believe that cost should be a barrier to workplace safety. We do not believe that nurses should have to be security guards as well as caregivers. We will keep fighting for workplace safety solutions that keep our nurses safe.

Feel free to follow along with updates posted to the Sacred Heart website as they continue to bargain.

How Can I Get Involved in Our Union?

1. Join a committee! We are always recruiting for nurses for our nurse practice committee and conference committee.
2. Become a steward! Level up your union nurse knowledge. Attend a one-hour training at your preferred time. Nurses will learn about representation rights, how to advocate for unsafe staffing, helping colleagues find and understand their contract, how to know when the contract is being violated and so much more. Sign up today!
3. Attend an upcoming event! Our union has opportunities in Olympia on January 29 to learn about the legislative opportunities for nurses. We also have a leadership conference in Wenatchee, WA April 26-28 with CEUS and sponsorship available.

Questions? Want to take advantage of the opportunities listed above? Contact an officer or your WSNA Nurse Rep Alle Machorro at amachorro@wsna.org.