Kadlec nurses showed up and our community showed up with us.

Thank you to every nurse, family member, friend, and supporter who joined the informational picket. The turnout was incredible, and the energy on the line made one thing very clear: Kadlec nurses are united and our community stands behind us.

We were proud to be joined by strong labor allies from across the region, including members of local Central Labor Councils, UFCW3000, Teamsters117, IAFF, AFSME, Yakama Nation, the Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland Education Associations, and our fellow Kadlec union members from SEIU1199NW. Seeing workers from different unions stand shoulder-to-shoulder sent a powerful message that safe staffing, workplace safety, and fair wages are community issues not just contract issues.

Management was formally notified, and they saw the turnout. Actions like this strengthen our voice at the bargaining table and show that nurses are informed, engaged, and prepared to stand together.

Local Press:

• KEPR: https://keprtv.com/news/local/nurses-picket-at-kadlec-regional-medical-center-over-safety-staffing-and-breaks
  
• NewsTalk 870 am: https://newstalk870.am/kadlec-nurses-informational-picket/
  
• Tri-City Herald (article and video): 
  https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article314461124.html
  
• NBC affiliate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5uP7ZDvziE
  
• ABC affiliate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5uP7ZDvziE
  
• https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/articles/kadlec-nurses-picket-amid-contract-negotiations
  
• https://www.applevalleynewsnow.com/news/kadlec-nurses-advocate-for-safety-over-rising-workplace-violence/article_12742e8f-d0e6-4e74-8e89-b15b12bb52c4.html
  
• https://kimatv.com/news/local/kadlec-nurses-plan-informational-picket-over-safety-staffing-concerns
  
• https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/nurses-at-kadlec-regional-medical-center-to-rally-against-workplace-violence/article_01116ff4-9401-42d3-9be0-f312a61052aa.html

But we’re not done.

🔥 What’s Next: We Can’t Let Off the Gas 

The incredible turnout at the informational picket sent a powerful message but visibility only moves negotiations forward if we keep the pressure on. Management has shown that progress doesn’t happen unless nurses stay engaged and united.

Here are the two critical next steps every Kadlec nurse needs to take:

👀 1️⃣ Choose Your Negotiation Observation Day

February 10 or February 11

When nurses show up to observe bargaining, it changes the room. Management sees the faces behind the proposals. They see that nurses are paying attention, informed, and invested in the outcome of these negotiations.

Your presence:

• Demonstrates unity
• Shows management these issues matter deeply
• Strengthens the negotiation team’s leverage

Decide now which day works for you and make a plan to attend. Even a short visit makes a difference.

✍️ 2️⃣ Sign a Strike Commitment When Asked

When negotiation team or CAT members ask you to sign a strike commitment, say yes.

A strike commitment is not about wanting to strike it’s about showing management that nurses are prepared, serious, and united. High commitment levels send a clear signal that nurses are ready to stand together if necessary, and that strength often helps prevent a strike by moving management to settle fairly.

Strike commitments:

• Show unity and resolve
• Increase bargaining power
• Make it clear nurses will not accept a weak contract

Management has made it clear that nothing will be given without being pushed for. Our power comes from standing together and that starts with commitment.

We fight. We win!

⚖️ A Quick Response to Management’s Wage “Examples”

In their recent update, management shared “examples of impact” under their wage proposal, claiming nurses would see 11.6% to 19.9% increases over three years. These examples combine their proposed market adjustments and across-the-board increases with step progression raises nurses would receive anyway under the existing wage scale.

Let’s be clear: step increases are not new money management is offering in this negotiation. Step progression was won in prior contracts through union bargaining. Including future steps in their percentage calculations is misleading and suggests management is trying to take credit for raises nurses have already earned.

Even more concerning, these examples assume that nurses will progress one full step every year. Management is advertising wage outcomes that depend on annual step progression, while at the same time rejecting the union’s proposal to base wage advancement on anniversary dates. Under the current hour-based system, many nurses including part-time, per diem, and those who experience life events that reduce their hours may not advance annually, meaning they may never see the wages management is promoting.

Nurses understand their own paychecks. We know that the actual value of management’s proposed across-the-board increases and market adjustments is far lower than the double-digit percentages being advertised and does not come close to the wages of our counterparts in Spokane. These inflated examples ignores the real economic pressures nurses are facing today and attempts to repackage previously negotiated step raises as if they are new gains.

WSNA’s position remains clear: wage proposals must reflect real, guaranteed increases for all nurses, not projections built on assumptions that don’t apply to a large portion of the workforce.

📣 Upcoming Action – Mark Your Calendar

Local Unit Meeting

Please save the date for an important Local Unit Meeting on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, with two session options to ensure both day and NOC shift nurses have an opportunity to participate.

Meeting Times:

• 5:30–6:30 p.m.
• 7:45–8:45 p.m.

This meeting is intentionally scheduled after our January 26 informational picket and before the next negotiation sessions on February 10–11.

Additional details, including location and/or virtual access information, will be shared soon. Please plan now to attend the session that works best for your schedule.

 Staying Informed

• Stay informed - Read all WSNA communications and status updates from the Employer
• Engage and Participate – Watch for important updates on how to support your Bargaining Team and fight for a Fair Contract
• Let your Bargaining Team know if you wish to be an Observer during negotiations.
• Upcoming dates: Bargaining will resume on February 10 & 11
• Follow on social media platforms:
  • Facebook: www.facebook.com/kadlecrns
  • Instagram: @wsna_kadlec
• Make sure you check out your WSNA webpage: Kadlec Regional Medical Center - WSNA

In solidarity,

Your WSNA Bargaining Team
Meri Bukovisnky- CDU, WSNA Chair
Crystal Rivera- ED, Member at Large
Milari Romero- ICU, Member at Large
Franklin Alvarez- 7RP
Andrew Blake- Cath Lab
Kelsi Duncan- NICU
Deborah Langston- PACU, Grievance officer
Anita Dennis- PACU, Grievance officer
Jamie White- 9RP, Secretary/Treasurer