Why Being a Union Member is Important 

As we end the week following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, we should all reflect on why being a union member is important. Dr. King understood that to see change happen, we must be willing to stand up and speak up for the people who can’t or won’t. Being a union member shows management that we stand together stronger, that we are united, and that we will not back down. When nurses become members, it makes our collective power stronger. When a nurse files an ADO, it shows there is a concern and that staffing isn’t adequate. When a nurse clocks out that they didn’t get a meal or rest break appropriately, that shows there is an issue. I ask everyone at UWMC NW to become a member and build Union Power together. While WSNA is the Union umbrella, the membership on the ground is the Union. You, the nurses, are the Union, and when nurses stand together, as we are seeing in NYC, we can accomplish almost anything.

Meal and Rest Breaks: Know your rights under the law

1. Under WAC 296-126-092, employees are entitled to the following rights:
   1. Employees shall be allowed an unpaid meal period of at least thirty minutes, which commences no less than two hours or more than five hours from the beginning of the shift.
   2. No employee shall be required to work more than five consecutive hours without a meal period.
   3. Employees shall be allowed a paid rest period of at least 15 minutes, on the employer's time, for each four hours of working time. Rest breaks shall be scheduled as near as possible to the midpoint of the work period.

Why is this important?

If you have not signed a waiver with the employer waiving the timing of your meal or rest breaks, then any of those breaks outside of the lawfully prescribed timeframe is considered to be missed.   If your meal is missed, you are entitled to an additional 30 minutes of pay at the back end. For every rest period that is missed, you are entitled to an additional 10 minutes of pay at the back end.

Employees, once a waiver is in place, are legally able to withdraw the waiver at any point during their shift. One of the other pieces is that nurses can combine two of their rest periods with a meal period, as agreed by the employer. Staff are also able to waive their 30-minute unpaid meal period when working less than an 8-hour shift.

Meal and Rest breaks can only be interrupted for specific reasons:

• RCW 49.28.130 "Unforeseeable emergent circumstance" means
  • (a) any unforeseen declared national, state, or municipal emergency;
  • (b) when a health care facility disaster plan is activated; or
  • (c) any unforeseen disaster or other catastrophic event which substantially affects or increases the need for health care services.

The goal of this legislation is for staff to be able to fully step away from their assignment by leaving their phone/Vocera with another staff member. The ideal is to have a meal and rest break RN who can provide these breaks, as we are still required to adhere to the staffing matrix.

Staffing Matrix

Hospitals are required to post their approved staffing matrix in a visible location on every unit. Each staffing matrix lists the total number of staff per patient. Here are some key elements that everyone needs to be aware of:

1. The number of staff on the matrix is the minimum number required under the law to safely staff the unit.
   1. The law specifically calls out the use of acuity when establishing how many staff are needed to be safely staffed.
   2. The number of staff listed is the number of staff that must legally be on the floor providing direct patient care for the facility to be in compliance.
   3. When a staff member leaves the floor to take a meal or rest break, there is no other staff member with the same clinical qualifications to replace them; the unit is now out of compliance.
   4. Staff are asked to file an ADO, and please make sure you are filling out the actual and planned staffing numbers on the form.
2. The hospital does not feel that this is unsafe. We have pushed back against this, as doubling an assignment is unsafe under all circumstances. Filing an ADO is a protected action.

Officers and Staffing Committee

We are seeking nurses in good standing who are interested in joining our hospital staffing committee. If you are interested, please contact your nurse representative, Stephenie Troftgruben (stroftgruben@wsna.org). Please check your mail for our upcoming local unit officer election. If you would like to be considered for a position, please notify your nurse rep by Friday, January 30. If you are unsure of your membership status, please reach out and fill out a membership application below:

Leadership

The WSNA Leadership conference is coming up. It will be in Wenatchee, April 26-28, we are hoping to see at least 25 UWMC NW nurses in attendance. This is a great opportunity to meet with other strong Union Leaders and share knowledge and solidarity.