At our twelfth session with MultiCare, we got two big wins and showed up for nurses when MultiCare could not.  

SEVERANCE: 

Session after session, we told MultiCare that we refuse to accept a reduction to severance benefits for nurses with 24+ years. Management finally heard us and withdrew its proposal to cut severance for nurses with 24+ years’ experience.  

LOW CENSUS: 

Session after session, we told MultiCare that nurses deserve immediate compensation for being low censused out of turn. Management finally agreed that the nurses most impacted by out of turn low census, bargaining unit float pool nurses, will get immediate compensation for being low censused out of turn.   

These victories at the bargaining table go to show that when we take collective action together, it makes management move at the bargaining table.

THE FIGHT AHEAD: 

The fight for ratios, Respect Committee, charge nurse as bargaining unit work, and fair compensation continues. Even with everything in their court, MultiCare asked our team to present a counter because it was "uncomfortable" making the movement necessary to move towards agreement. So, we stepped up and presented MultiCare a package proposal that would achieve: 

• More equitable compensation that gets our hourly pay closer to our valley-peers at MultiCare Auburn;  
• Improved staffing ratios;  
• A high functioning Respect Committee that helps confront and combat discrimination;  
• Keeping Charge Nurse work in the hands of union nurses, and;  
• A shift differential incentive for nurses above step 20 on the wage scale to retain our experienced night shift nurses.

The only reason we are starting to see these wins is because of the work YOU are doing away from the table – in the Hospital, in your communities, and with your families. We need your support between now and our next session on June 25 to help ensure MultiCare comes back to the table with a serious proposal that works for nurses.   

Our next bargaining date is June 25 at Auburn Business Center. We know that for many nurses, this is a shorter drive than MultiCare University in Puyallup – Auburn and Puyallup are not separate markets, and over 40% of nurses at Good Sam live within 15 miles of Auburn Medical Center. Auburn Medical Center RNs currently make an average of 7% more than Good Sam nurses.  

MultiCare thinks that we don’t deserve the same wages as nurses at Auburn because it is technically in King County. While this is true, nurses know that Auburn and Puyallup are comparable markets – with comparable costs of living. Puyallup’s median home value in 2025 was $566,318, while Auburn’s median home value in 2025 was $581,943. The average rent in Puyallup is $2,595 a month, while Auburn’s average rent is $2,099 a month.  

Groceries and gas don’t get 7% cheaper when you drive 15 minutes from Auburn to Puyallup. A recent MultiCare communication saying “WSNA is proposing wages based on King County, which is outside of our local market in Puyallup and Pierce County” is another misleading attempt to stop Good Sam nurses from demanding wages that accurately reflect our value to the community and the cost of living in it.  

Take Action: Send Bill and his C-Suite Friends a Letter!  

The fact that we have sent over 1,000 letters to CEO Bill Roberts, Good Sam President Dawn Anuszkiewicz, and Good Sam Chief Nursing Officer Angie Naylor has led to real movement at the table. But we’re not there yet – we are amping up pressure by adding five more C-Suite members to the list. MultiCare President Florence Chang, Executive Vice President Todd Czartoski, Chief Financial Officer James Lee, MultiCare Chief Nursing Officer Caren Lewis, and Chief Administrative Officer Tim Lynch also deserve to know how nurses and the community feel about the disrespect shown towards MultiCare Good Sam nurses. 

Send a letter at the link below and then ask five of your friends and family members to do the same! Let’s get to over 2,000 letters before our next negotiations date on June 25.

Good Sam Takeover at the Rainiers Game!  

On June 12, Good Sam nurses attended the Tacoma Rainiers game – spreading visibility to our community and showing up wherever MultiCare does.  

MultiCare sponsors the Mary Bridge Children’s Pavillion and the 1882 MultiCare Suite at Cheney Stadium – so we know that their executives saw our message on the video screen and noticed the WSNA blue! Maybe this will encourage management to spend less money on baseball stadiums and invest in the workers that run their hospitals. 

Upcoming Virtual Trainings on Grievances and Union Steward Basics!  

Now is a great time to learn more about getting involved in our WSNA union. We have upcoming virtual trainings on June 29th and June 30th that anyone is invited to attend!  

On June 29, Providence Holy Family Bargaining Unit Chair, Tristan Twohig, and WSNA Nurse Representative, Ed Zercher, will be hosting a virtual training from 6-8PM focused on the fundamentals of investigations and grievances. 

Topics will include: 

• How to represent a colleague during an investigatory meeting 
• Understanding Weingarten rights and union representation 
• What constitutes a grievance and how to identify potential contract violations 
• How to evaluate workplace concerns and determine whether a grievance exists 
• The process for filing a grievance 
• An overview of the grievance process from start to finish

You can join the virtual training on Microsoft Teams at this link: https://wsna.to/GrievanceTrainingWSNA

On June 30, WSNA Organizer Grace LaMonte will be hosting a virtual training from 7-8:30PM that provides an overview of union steward basics.  

Topics will include:  

• The role of a union steward 
• Rights and special protections for stewards 
• Weingarten rights and just cause 
• Identifying issue fights on your unit

You can sign up for the virtual training at this link. After you sign up, the link will be emailed out to all participants.  

There will be more virtual trainings like this in the future - email glamonte@wsna.org to be notified about future sessions! 

Next Virtual Union Update Meeting: Thursday, June 18 

While we are in negotiations, bargaining team members are hosting informal union meetings with WSNA members. “Sip and Chats” occur every Thursday from 2000-2100 while we are in negotiations. Click the link to join via Microsoft Teams or call in (206) 485-2614; Passcode: 44078739# to join. 

Observe Bargaining on June 25 at MultiCare Auburn Business Center 

It’s important that we continue to build power at the table. Our next bargaining date is on June 25 at the MultiCare Auburn Business Center. Use the address 1002 15th St SW, Suite 201 Auburn, WA 98001 to get there, and bring your badge to get into the building. Observers are welcome starting at 10am. Stay for a few hours or the whole day – we'll provide lunch! Reach out to WSNA Organizer Grace at 206-553-9794 with any questions.  

Stay in the Loop: Follow us on Instagram, Join the Facebook Group, or get on our new Signal Chat! 

For behind the scenes bargaining content, MultiCare memes, and Blue Friday photos, follow our Instagram @gsh_wsna.  Follow our Instagram here. For discussion and questions in a private members-only space, join our Facebook group! Ask an officer or coworker to add you.

If you’re not on social media but still want to stay in the loop and join conversations on bargaining, download the app Signal and join our private discussion group here. 

Paint GSH Blue!  

Your WSNA Bargaining Team is requesting that EVERY NURSE wear their WSNA T-Shirt at work (especially on Friday’s & bargaining days)! 

Contact membership@wsna.org if you are not getting emails from WSNA. Also, please remember to check your junk mail! You can update your contact information on our WSNA website here: https://www.wsna.org/membership/update-info. 

In Solidarity, your WSNA Bargaining Team:  

Co-Chair Savanah James, PCU; Treasurer Aaron Bradley, Palliative Care; Secretary Mindy Groven, PACU; Grievance Officer Emalie Hobi, ED; Jordan Goakey, Family Birth; Nicole Mandeville, ICU; Jennifer Hudson, ED; Jacqueline Dynes, ICU. 

Please contact Travis Elmore Nelson, WSNA Nurse Rep, at telmore@WSNA.org or 206-575-7979 ext. 3117 with questions or to find out what you can do to get a fair contract!