Negotiations 2025

We are ringing the bell and beating the drum in excitement for the anticipated bargaining of our next contract.

The current contract expires in March 2025.

A pre-bargaining survey has been sent out to all nurses under the contract. This questionnaire will help the negotiating team in identifying the members’ workplace issues and desires.  This will set the bargaining priorities.

If you have not completed your survey, please do so now with the link below.

If you are interested in being a negotiating team member please contact an officer, Laurie Robinson Nurse Rep or Jenny Galassi, Nurse Organizer, for more information.

This is an excellent opportunity to represent the nurses at the bargaining table. There is no experience needed. New nurses, experienced nurses, specialty areas nurses all bring a wealth of information to the table.

We would love to see nurses from the peri-operative , MBU, HHH, and procedural areas.

Mares Bargaining

Send your strength and support to the Mares bargaining team. They are meeting October 15 for their twenty-first session. While this may seem a lengthy time to reach a tentative agreement, it is not uncommon with a first contract.

The teams have enlisted a mediator for two sessions in November.

Hospital Staffing Committee

This hospital staffing committee (HSC) is established by Confluence Health Hospitals, Central and Mares Campuses to convene direct care nursing staff and hospital administration to participate in a joint process regarding decisions about direct care nurse staffing practices to promote quality patient care, safety for patients and staff, and greater retention of nursing staff. The committee uses pertinent organizational and other data for consideration in developing the Hospital Staffing Plan and analyzing nurse staffing.

The primary responsibilities of the HSC are:

1. Develop and oversee the annual patient care unit and shift-based hospital staffing plan (HSP) for nursing staff, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, and unlicensed assistive nursing personnel providing direct patient care based on the needs of patients.
2. Review and evaluate the effectiveness of the staffing plan semi-annually against patient needs and known evidence based staffing information, including identified factors considered in staffing plan development and nurse-sensitive quality indicators collected by the hospital.
3. Review, assess, and respond to staffing variations, concerns, or complaints presented to the committee.

After completing the HSC Charter, we are currently reviewing the staffing plans and will vote on the plans. (See link to review your unit’s staffing plan)

Last week we met with nurses from the MBU and hospital leadership to discuss the need for a dedicated triage nurse as well as other ideas to ensure essential staffing needs.

The HSC is seeking nurses who are interested in representing their unit. The committee meets monthly on the 3rd Monday. If you are interested in being part of this dynamic committee, please let us know. 
If you have questions or concerns, please bring these to Simon Morton, HSC Co-Chair.

Investigatory Meetings

 If you are notified by you manager that you must attend an investigatory meeting, please invoke your Weingarten Rights (On the other side of your badge buddy) You have the right to have an Officer or your Nurse Representative (Laurie Robinson) to attend. If there is an outcome meeting with any corrective action, a grievance may be filed, it MUST be done so within 21 days.

Just Cause

in disciplinary cases, this refers to the legitimate reason required to justify disciplinary action against an employee. It is a standard used in labor law and employment relations to ensure that any punitive measures are fair and warranted.

Key Components of Just Cause

1. Prior Notice: The employee should be made aware of the rules and policies they are expected to follow. This could be through policy, emails from the employer, education, Inservice or other documented communication from the employer.
2. Recent Enforcement: Discipline may not be imposed for violating a rule or standard that the employer has not enforced for a prolonged period.
3. Due Process: The employee should be given a chance to explain or defend themselves against the allegations.
4. Substantial Evidence: There must be sufficient evidence to support a disciplinary action.
5. Fairness/Equal Treatment: The disciplinary action must be proportionate to the violation. Similar cases should be treated similarly.
6. Investigation: A fair and thorough investigation must be conducted by the employer to understand the facts before taking action against an employee.
7. Mitigating, extenuating, and aggravating circumstances: Discipline must be proportional to the gravity of the offense, taking account of any mitigating, extenuating, or aggravating circumstances.

Common Just Cause Examples

• Misconduct: Violating company policies (e.g., theft, harassment).
• Performance Issues: Chronic underperformance or failure to meet job expectations after warnings.
• Attendance: Excessive absenteeism or tardiness without valid reasons.

Grievances

What happens if a nurse is disciplined or there is a violation of the contract or MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)?

WSNA may file a grievance for the nurse, group of nurses or an association grievance. First, there should be an attempt to resolve informally with the manager. Next, a written grievance with a Request for Information is filed with the manager and HR within 21 days of the occurrence. The grievance officer or nurse representative along with the grievant(s) meets with the manager and HR. The grievance is presented by the nurse representative or grievance officer to the manager and HR.  Once this meeting has occurred, the manager has 14 days to respond in writing.

If the grievance is not resolved at Step 1, the grievance may be advanced to Step 2 with the CNO within 14 days. The grievance presentation at this step is with the CNO and HR in the same fashion as the first meeting.

If unresolved, this grievance may move to Step 3, within 14 days with the COO and HR.

What we can do at any time during the process is to settle the grievance. This could mean reducing a disciplinary action or a monetary settlement for a disputed wage issue.

In the case where no resolution has been made, the nurse representative will present the case to the arbitration review panel. The grievance may be advanced to arbitration.

Once a grievance is awaiting arbitration, a settlement may occur or wait for an arbitration date. This may take well over a year, sometimes longer. Arbitration is much like a court without a jury. Both sides may present witnesses, evidence and briefs to the arbitrator. The arbitrator will write their decision or award.

Currently, we have two grievances that are waiting for an arbitration date.

1.    SOU Staffing grid – advanced to arbitration
2.    Pool Nurse Step advancement-advanced to arbitration

Recently, the vaccine accommodation grievance, which was filed in 11/08/2021 for nurses who had chosen to not receive a COVID vaccine either for medical or religious reasons were removed from the schedule and were not accommodated. Examples of other hospitals who provided an accommodation (remote work, weekly testing or masking) There were between 30-35 nurses affected by this. The nurses were essentially placed on an indefinite LOA. In March 2023 the hospital announced unvaccinated staff could return to the bedside, later this was extended to May 2023. It was noted that 8 nurses returned to the bedside without loss of seniority and placed accordingly on the wage scale.

Until last week, the remaining nurses remained on a leave of absence and received health benefits when they received a letter from the employer terminating their employment. All of the nurses are eligible for re-hire.

What does this mean for any future requests for accommodation? If a Confluence Central nurse requests accommodation, there must be an individual meeting between the nurse and the employer before any decisions are made on whether the employer may provide accommodation. 

3.    Vaccine Accommodations- The following link is the decision in its entirety for all to read.

The arbitrator split the decision (also known as award) between WSNA and the employer. There is no monetary win. WSNA and the employer split the cost of the arbitration. The arbitrator’s decision is final, legal and binding.

• The employer violated the MOA when it failed to work with employees individually who were granted an exemption to determine if accommodations could be made.
• The employer did not violate the just cause clause or any other provision of the MOA or the collective bargaining agreement when it placed the grievants on unpaid leave with rights of return.

Unit Reps

We are looking for Unit Reps. We would like to see 2-3 nurses become Unit Reps for each unit. The training is free. If you are interested in keeping your unit quickly informed, especially during contract negotiations, please contact Jenny Galassi, Nurse Organizer Cell: 206-707-2948 jgalassi@wsna.org or Laurie Robinson Nurse Representative Cell: 206-620-4136 lrobinson@wsna.org  for more information.

In solidarity,
Paul Stamilio- Chair
Stephanie Gates- Co-Chair
Karen Doiron- Secretary
Simon Morton- Treasurer
Paul Molenaar- Membership 
Brittney Lamb- Grievance Officer
Isaiah Ray- Grievance Officer

Laurie Robinson Nurse Representative
Cell: 206-620-4136
lrobinson@wsna.org

Jenny Galassi Nurse Organizer
Cell: 206-707-2948
jgalassi@wsna.org

WSNA Membership: If you are not a WSNA member please consider completing a membership application today! Just click on the link!

YOU ARE WSNA!