Happy September, Good Sam Nurses! 

As the summer ends and we transition into autumn, we’re ready to start gearing up for negotiations. Keep reading to stay up to date on all the latest updates from your WSNA team!

• Group Grievance on 8Dally
• New Officer Spotlight: Co-Chair Savannah and Membership Officer Ruth
• Fall Unit Rep Trainings
• Nurse Unseen Movie Screening

Calling all 8Dally PCU Nurses! 

With the new changes being implemented on the 8Dally PCU floor, your WSNA Officer Team organized a group grievance regarding why a maximum 3:1 ratio is necessary for this unit. Management responded by saying that this ratio is not “sustainable”, and that we should “rethink our workflows”. The reality is that nurses on 8Dally have already been rethinking, stretching, and doing more with less—at the cost of their own well-being and, ultimately, patient safety.

Our first virtual meeting is on Tuesday, September 16 at 1 pm on Teams. 

You can join the meeting here
Meeting ID: 257 583 791 490
Passcode: 3Gb2VL39

This is our chance to stand together and show that this isn’t just one or two voices—it’s ALL of us demanding safe patient care and safe working conditions. The more of us who show up, the stronger our message will be.

We’re all feeling the burnout, the overwhelming patient loads, and the impossible expectations. This meeting is where we start fighting back—not just for ourselves, but for our patients and for the future of our unit.

New Officer Spotlight: Co-Chair Savannah and Membership Officer Ruth

Co-Chair Savannah James, 8Dally: 
“I chose to become co-chair for GSH WSNA because I care deeply about advocating for safe staffing, fair working conditions, and the holistic health of every nurse. This role allows me collaborate directly with management, amplify my colleagues’ voices, and help create an environment where both nurses and patients thrive. I feel privileged to serve my fellow nurses in this role.”

Membership Officer Ruth Gelbach, 8Dally: 
“I became the WSNA Good Sam Membership Office because I have a deep appreciation for the union and all it does to protect and promote the member nurses. Through protecting the nurses we can protect and promote care and safety for our patients and their families everyday. This role allows me to be a voice for my fellow nurses and educate new nurses coming in about the unity and respect we have for each other and our patients. It is an honor to serve my fellow nurses and continue to promote safety and amazing care for each other and our patients.”

Virtual Unit Rep Trainings: Keep Our Union Strong  

Want to be more involved in our WSNA union but don’t know how? Have you been a unit rep in the past but need a refresher on what the job should look like? Just want to find out what being a unit rep is all about? Come join us for our virtual unit rep trainings this fall!  

The training covers the basics of contract enforcement and workplace organizing. Topics include:

• The role of a Unit Rep
• Our rights at work
• Just cause discipline
• Internal issue organizing for your unit
• Actions during contract campaigns

We’ll be holding virtual training sessions for about an hour on these dates:

• Tuesday September 16, 0900
• Tuesday September 16, 1200
• Wednesday September 17, 1900
• Thursday September 17, 1200
• Tuesday October 14, 0900
• Wednesday October 15, 1900

Click this link to sign up for a session and get sent a link to attend!

Reach out to WSNA Organizer Grace at glamonte@wsna.org with any questions, or if you can’t make one of the listed training dates but would like to know more.

Nurse Unseen – Movie Screening, Presentation and Facilitated Discussion

The Rainier Olympic Nurses Association will be screening Nurse Unseen at the brand new Asian Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma on 10/25 with a panel discussion afterwards (0.5 CE hours included). The screening is free and the event runs from 0800-1200.

Nurse Unseen explores the little-known history and humanity of the unsung Filipino-American nurses who risked their lives on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic while facing a resurgence of anti-Asian hate in the streets.

You can register for the event and get tickets at the Rainier Olympic Nurses Association website here.

Reminder: Deadline for Consecutive Weekend Pay Arbitration

Recently WSNA won a grievance in arbitration that was filed on your behalf. Essentially, MultiCare attempted to put limits on who qualified for consecutive weekend pay that were not in accordance with our contract with MultiCare. The arbitrator ruled that MultiCare violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement (contract) when it did not pay premium pay to nurses who picked up additional weekend shifts resulting in their working consecutive weekends.

In addition, the arbitrator ruled that MultiCare must pay:

• All nurses who picked up additional weekend shifts, worked consecutive weekends, who submitted claims for CWP and whose claims were denied on or after March 7, 2024;
• All nurses who picked up additional weekend shifts, worked consecutive weekends, who did NOT submit claims for CWP and who thus did not get paid CWP, since March 7, 2024.

If you believe that you are owed consecutive weekend pay under this decision, please contact your manager first. If they deny you unjustly or are unwilling to help you, please reach out to WSNA Rep. Travis Elmore Nelson by October 31, 2025. He can be reached at 206-575-7979 ext. 3117 or telmore@wsna.org.

Our Negotiations Survey Closes Soon! 

If you haven’t filled out the survey yet, now is the time. Your input is critical; management needs to hear the united voice of nurses when we fight for the contract we deserve. Please take a few minutes today to complete the survey using the link below. 
You can fill out the survey here.

Stay in the Loop!  

As our contract negotiations approach, it’s crucial that every nurse stays informed on what’s happening at the bargaining table and beyond. If you’re not getting email updates from WSNA, check your junk and spam folders. Please make sure to stay subscribed to WSNA for important Local Unit Updates - unsubscribing to one WSNA email unsubscribes you from all future updates. You can update your contact information here. Make sure you follow our Instagram, @gsh_wsna, or ask a coworker to add you to our private Facebook group.

Together, in solidarity, we protect our patients, our community, and each other.

In solidarity,

Ilia Mondoy, Co-Chair; Savanah James, Co-Chair; Mindy Thornton, Secretary; Aaron Bradley, Treasurer; Atalia Lapkin, Grievance Officer; Emalie Ann Hobi, Grievance Officer; Amber-Dawn Wilson, Grievance Officer; and Ruth Gelbach, Membership Officer

Questions? Contact one of your officers, one of your bargaining team members, or Nurse Rep Travis Elmore Nelson, telmore@wsna.org.