On Wednesday, November 5, we met for Contract Bargaining Session #5. The session opened with the Company's response to the Union's proposal from October 21.

The company continues to reject our proposed wage scale and are offering an insulting 1.75% wage increase per year which equals 5.25% over 3 years.  That's just plain disrespectful. They are refusing to reward your hard work and dedication with a fair and reasonable wage increase.

Additionally, they continues to reject the proposals we have been holding on to such as:

-Certification pay of $1/hour; Nursing Degree pay of $2/hr - Rejected

-Increasing preceptor pay from $2 to $4/hr - Rejected

-Proposal for 1:1 credit for past nursing experience, including RN experience in a foreign country - Rejected

-Language for Critical Pay of $250 per shift - Rejected

-Pay in Lieu of 15% for Per Diem nurses -Rejected

-Pay nurses who attend the Quarterly Nurse Practice Committee Meeting on their day off - Rejected

- Compensating the bargaining team for their time bargaining - Rejected

-Employees who are exposed to communicable disease at work and not permitted to work should have immediate access to their extended sick leave and not be required to complete the 24 hour waiting period - Rejected.

The only substantive items the company has agreed to are:

• Compensating union nurses with charge nurse differential of 5% for the hours they are designated as charge and perform charge duties.
• Language in the contract for the 401K plan, Profit Sharing, and other Benefits which reflects the Company policy, but were not previously spelled out in the contract. This ensures that union employees will receive the same benefits as all other company employees; and that the company will need to notify the union of any changes.

Is this Okay with You?  If not, it's time to Stand Up and Fight Back.

Join us for a  Union local unit meeting Sunday November 16 

When:  Sunday, November 16 from 6-7:30 pm
Where:  Roundtable Pizza  in South Tacoma.  7921 South Hosmer 
Who :  ALL Bargaining Unit Nurses - Full Time, Part Time and Per Diem.  Families Welcome.
Note: You are responsible for the supervision of your children. 
Purpose:  To discuss contract negotiations and future actions.

Free Pizza and Beverages 

This meeting is for ALL of you - come invest in your future

Actions you can do:

-Sticker up every day at work. Wear your WSNA stickers, badge reels, badge buddies and buttons. You can find them on your WSNA bulletin board. If you have a WSNA T-shirt, wear it at work.

-Show Solidarity with the Fresenius UFCW 300 Technicians and support each other until we ALL get a Fair Contract.

-Fill out ADOs (Assignment Despite Objection forms) for unsafe staffing at https://www.wsna.org/union/ado

-If you feel intimidated from management about your union support, please notify your Nurse Representative immediately. That won't be tolerated.

Facebook Group

Keep in touch by joining our Facebook Group: WSNA - Fresenius RNs

Next bargaining session will be Friday, December 12.  

Be sure to thank the nurses who are donating their time to serve on the bargaining team:

Elisha Knight - Float
Suzette Marengo - Tacoma South
Hyacinth Faith Bunac - Gig Harbor
Mia Guilder - Puyallup
Benicka Castilla - Tacoma East

Questions/Comments. Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Janet Stewart JStewart@wsna.org.