Bargaining Update

Today was our sixth negotiating session with Island Health. The solidarity among nurses at the hospital and the observers being present in the room helped the negotiating team make a lot of progress at the table today. Management approached us with the need for a mediator on economics and we agreed.  While a mediator is being scheduled, we agreed to postpone next week’s bargaining day (10/20) however, your bargaining team is still going to meet and continue to fight for a fair contract. The bargaining team knows that it is important that we are ready with language and offers when we meet again and want to be prepared.

Today we reached tentative agreements in the following areas:

• Political Action Committee (PAC) language. If 10% of the nurses in the state of Washington donated $5/month to the PAC, the PAC would have over $600K per year to advocate for nursing legislation which would put nurses on PAR with what the Washington State Hospital Association spends on lobbying each year. 
• Increased participation at conference committee. Management agreed to now allow 7 nurses at conference committee to address issues as they arrive throughout the life of the contract.
• We have finally come to an agreement on the meal and rest break waiver language.
• Reached an agreement on new language for lactation, agreed to a private room with a fridge and several other protections in the law are now also guaranteed in the CBA.
• Made progress on the Workplace Violence Prevention Committee language. We aren’t there yet but management is listening to the concerns that the nurses have been voicing at the table.

There has been great concern about what to say to the community, while several topics remain at the bargaining table, it is important to be transparent about what we are fighting for. The negotiating team continues to fight for competitive wages so we can retain and recruit nurses who currently live in our community, reduced healthcare costs, safety at the hospital, and respect in our workplace.  The negotiating team continues to maintain nurses asking people to return their firearms and other weapons to their car is not an acceptable weapons policy.

Next steps, we meet again on October 26th to negotiate. In the next ten days keep an eye on your inbox for other important communications from WSNA about upcoming contract information.

In Solidarity, 
Christen Siedler
Ron Brutton
Clarisa Shook
Sarah O’Connell
Chris Fowler
Robin Cully