We had our first day of negotiations and hit the ground running. Both the Union and Management agreed that we share some important mutual goals: we all want to facilitate recruitment and retention of qualified rehabilitation nurses, and we want a safe environment for staff and for our patients.

We made it clear that economics will be a critical part of these negotiations. Not only is our Hospital well behind the Tacoma market, and while we are a stand-alone specialty hospital, our work is typically done in acute care hospitals like Good Sam and Harborview. Our wages are nowhere near what the rehab nurses there make. We will be making our economic proposals very soon with an eye to what rehab nurses in this area are making.

We proposed that staffing standards be set at no more than 5 patients per nurse except for emergencies (and an inability to fill schedule holes in advance is *not* an emergency). We raised questions about the current health plan, specifically about the wellness program and its effects on our contributions to health insurance premiums. Management said that potential changes are coming in the near future. We will continue to explore this issue as more information becomes available.

Our upcoming bargaining dates are November 16, December 2, and December 8. Stay tuned for more information on how you can support the bargaining team and strengthen our negotiations.

In solidarity,
Anna Pyfrom RN, Jana Purdy RN, and Nurse Representative Brenda Balogh RN (bbalogh@wsna.org)