Floating on our terms

In our fifth session with management, we introduced proposals which ensure Mares nurses have protection while floating at our own facility. Our proposal today expressly states that nurses cannot be floated off the Mares campus –including to Central—or to any roles at Mares that aren’t in the WSNA bargaining unit.

To be clear, Confluence must negotiate and reach an agreement with both our bargaining unit and Central’s bargaining unit to float nurses between locations. We told management we want to prioritize our first contract before negotiating any interfacility floating rules separately.

Our comprehensive proposals defined floating and qualifications for receiving a patient care assignment while floating as well as orientation requirements and options for “task floating” as a nurse extender. We have also introduced a float premium proposal that applies to floating within the Mares campus. We hope to receive responses from management when we meet again next week.

Seniority - honoring your time at Mares

Your team is advocating for you and has heard your concerns regarding your seniority. Today we submitted a proposal that defines that commitment for our new bargaining unit.

“Seniority” refers to your length of employment as a nurse at Mares. We proposed using a list of nurses in order of seniority to resolve scheduling conflicts, award time off requests, and fill open positions when two of more qualified nurses apply. We believe that your seniority at Mares began the day you were hired into a role that’s now included in the bargaining unit.

Important: seniority is not the same as step placement. Your seniority credits your time employed as an RN at out facility. Next week we’ll discuss step placement, which credits your years of work as a licensed RN at any facility. Your step placement helps determine your wage rate. Our proposal will aim to credit as much of your RN experience as possible.

Read the rest of this update here. You can also find it in the documents tab above.

Upcoming Bargaining dates

• 02/16/2024 Bargaining session #6
• 02/29/2024 Bargaining session # 7
• 03/04/2024 Bargaining session # 8
• 03/05/2024 Bargaining session # 9
• 03/28/2024 Bargaining session # 10

 Sign up to be an observer and support your bargaining team! Be a part of building your first contract. Reach out to Jenny Galassi, 206-707-2948, jgalassi@wsna.org for details.

Your Officer Team,

Chris Gallup - Co chair, Surgery
Marshall Snoddy - Co chair, Surgery
Megan Baute - Secretary, GI
Caitlin Orange - Treasurer, GI
Mateo Maestas - Grievance, Surgery
Rochelle Mason - Membership, Emergency Department

For questions or more information on how you can get involved, contact us:

Shawn Mork, WSNA Nurse Representative, 206-620-4246, sreed@wsna.org
Jenny Galassi, Nurse Organizer, 206-707-2948, jgalassi@wsna.org