What’s in this newsletter:

• Nurse Practice
• Hospital Staffing Committee
• Conference Committee
• Grievances
• Bargaining Unit Meeting

Nurse Practice committee update -Simon Morton

• Leapfrog survey rescheduled because they quit (This was based on a recent Lawsuit and Court Ruling- A federal judge ruled that Leapfrog used an unfair and deceptive method to score hospitals that chose not to fill out its voluntary survey.)
• Shared governance implementation pending
• Turn teams - not enough patients. Potentially getting up and moving 
• ED vertical integration: no updates. Nurse first model 1 step at a time.
• Tentative plan for November town hall/speaker - putting out a survey for what type of speaker would be wanted.
• Charge nurse retreat planning in progress by leadership
• Rover: October 6 switching from teams to Voight (epic calling system). Connex all contracting issues: integration of call lights. Name change cause’s application snag. Now will not happen until winter.
  House wide roll out early 2027
• CNA roll out for rovers soon
• Remote sense - net connect replacement. 72 hr. history, multiple views. End of the month rollout.
• Virtual nursing: working on venture contract for proposal/negotiations

Hospital Staffing committee- Simon Morton

ADOs about ED staffing concerns. Steps to address concerns during shift were taken. Management stated they recently had a nurse tech leave and job posting is in progress.
We discussed again the position of management that a nurse staying after shift for 4 hours would require director level approval despite potential staffing needs. There was an ADO that said it had happened in the ED, but it had been resolved in a different way by pulling resource tiered staff to plug the hole. 
We informed management that if management refused to approve a willing nurse to stay after when staffing would otherwise be short/go off grid, we would contact the department of health.
We asked management about additional break nurse positions for MOU to help cover the large unit that only get partial coverage when they have a break nurse. They responded saying they would look but are expecting a $20,000,000 revenue drop due to government healthcare cuts and additional break positions are unlikely to be approved. Day shift MBU break nurse planning on being posted once NOC shift position is filled.

Conference Committee-Laurie Robinson

• Requiring the use of PTO while on scheduled PTO and a nurse has agreed to come in extra. Nurses may want to save the PTO while they have graciously accepted to work. HR will review and follow up
• IP and floating-continued discussion between both groups
• Nightshift opportunities: A proposed opportunity is for the several open-charge positions be available to be in a job share. Kelly Allen states that any nurse that is interested in the potential is to go through their chain of command.
• IM Administrative Pay: It has been our observation that HR will offer a nurse to go home for the rest of the shift after attending an Investigatory Meeting. Recently, HR did not offer this to a nurse, and we raised the question of disparity. HR states that they do not want to be held to provide this every time. WSNA has offered that nurses should be given the opportunity to attend on their day off. HR will follow up.
• Hiring practice for Resident Nurses: Michelle is reaching out and finding positions, then the Residents are instructed to apply. These positions are being posted.
• Changing shifts in the ED- Nurses moved to a 5p-5a shift without the opportunity to discuss.
• BREAK BUDDIES: The ED has announced that nurses will need to use a fellow nurse to achieve a break. This is a violation of the Hospital Staffing Plan. There is no mention of Break Buddies within the plan that has been submitted to the DOH. When asked about this, Kim Collier stated that Break Nurses are only for meal breaks. Again, this is a violation of the CBA. If you are asked to use a Break Buddy please file an ADO, notify and Officer/Laurie Robinson.

4.15 Break Nurse is a registered nurse who is assigned the role of relieving employees from their patient assignments for their rest breaks and/or meal period. The Break Nurse shall not receive a permanent patient assignment or be assigned to a concurrent role except in emergent situations. Employer will make a good faith effort to assign an adequate number of nurses to provide break relief.

• X Shifts: Not all nurses who are requesting are not following the CBA. The highlighted areas are what is being seen by leadership.

5.8.1 Self-scheduling.  Nurses may utilize three (3) shifts in a six (6) week schedule to designate as days they wish to not be scheduled.  Good faith efforts will be made to schedule nurses around these shifts whenever possible, in accordance with the following guidelines:

1. Nurses may not use holidays as a shift to designate off under this section.
2. A request for a designated shift off will not supersede approved or pending vacation requests.
3. A nurse may designate shifts on no more than two (2) consecutive days.
4. Shifts will be designated during the nurse’s self-scheduling cycle.
5. When the number of requests for designation is greater than the unit’s designation allotment, requests will be considered by seniority.  The seniority rotation will reset on January 1st annually.
   
   a.   Units with less than twenty (20) staff will allow at least one (1) designation per shift (day/night).
   b.   Units with 20-60 staff will allow at least two (2) designations per shift.
   c.   Units with greater than sixty (60) staff will allow at least three (3) designations per shift.

If you have a general concern or unit specific concern, please bring to an Officer, Unit Rep or Laurie Robinson so that we are able to add to the agenda.

Grievances:

Pool- nurses have self-scheduled for open shifts and availability only to be denied BU work to meet travel.

nurses FTEs. This grievance will be heard on 8/6/26 at Step 1. If you would like to attend, please reach out to Brittney Lamb or Laurie Robinson

Seniority- With the ratification of the MOU, Article 6.9 .Seniority, for all purposes, shall mean a nurse’s continuous length of service as a full-time, part-time, or Pool Registered Nurse from the nurse’s most recent date of hire as a Registered Nurse at the Mares Campus, the Moses Lake Campus, the Omak Campus or the Central Campus. Full-time, part-time and pool nurses.

The employer is not recognizing service between the campuses. We need nurses to complete the Seniority Survey to gain rapid information for this grievance

SENIORITY  – Fill out form

Bargaining Unit Meetings:

To provide a predictable schedule for the members of the bargaining unit, we will be offering a monthly meeting. This will be the 3rd Wednesday each month and we will alternate in-person and virtual. This will provide members with the opportunity to provide information regarding safety, education, grievances and contract issues. Members are encouraged to ask questions and share concerns as well as to stay involved. 

We will be meeting virtually on August 13, 2026, from 5-7 pm.

Microsoft Teams meeting 
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/238013459405637?p=eYs8u3zV8OZGydvuKz 
Meeting ID: 238 013 459 405 637 
Passcode: o7Zw35Pd 
Dial in by phone 
+1 206-485-2614,,923644494# United States, Seattle 
(888) 313-0615,,923644494# United States (Toll-free) 
Find a local number 
Phone conference ID: 923 644 494#

Contact an Officer or Nurse Representative for questions or concerns.

YOU ARE WSNA

In solidarity,
Stefanie Gates- Chair
Isaiah Ray- Co-Chair
Megan Baute- Secretary
Simon Morton- Treasurer
Paul Molenaar- Membership 
Brittney Lamb- Grievance Officer
Todd Avis- Grievance Officer
Sara Eskew- Communication and Education Officer

Laurie Robinson Nurse Representative
lrobinson@wsna.org

Jenny Galassi Nurse Organizer
jgalassi@wsna.org