We had our fourth day of negotiations with management on Oct. 9, 2018. Our entire team contributed to the passionate discussion regarding staffing issues and our staffing proposal at KRMC. We advocated for our bargaining unit regarding staffing concerns and gave management examples of how short-staffed we nurses are.

We notified management that we filed a DOSH (Department of Safety and Health) complaint with L&I over the Hospital’s lack of compliance regarding workplace violence. We are working to assure that safety is a critical issue now!

Management heard your voices, saw the stickers and nurses wearing blue. Management backed off their demand of having part-time nurses pay full premiums, but there are still major benefit issues on the table. Stay tuned.

Management provided us with their economic proposal – their offer is 2% across the board, 2% raises in 2019, 2% in 2020 and 2% in 2021. We believe this is a good start. They have committed to preserving the current steps.

We still have many open proposals and discussion items. Our next dates are Oct. 15 and Nov. 13.

In Unity and Solidarity,

Your Negotiating Team: Jacob Garcia (CDU), Martha Galvez (Birth Center), Vanessa Douglas (ICU), Toni Ledridge (PAS), Kathy Peot (Resource), Maryanne Sturtevant (OR), Meri Bukovinsky (CDU), Joyce McMurphy (NICU), (Anthony) Tony Jones (Cath Lab) and Joy Barclay (DI).

STAT meetings:

• Oct. 10 at 7:30 - 9 p.m. in the Columbia II (3^rd floor Mountain Pavilion) – Meet Tammy Garren from the Department of Labor and Industries. She will be attending the meeting.
• Oct. 11 at 7:30-9 a.m. in the Ringold room (1^st floor near the tower elevators)

• Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Hampton Inn, Bradley Blvd, Richland – Meet and greet with Senator Sharon Brown