We met with Kindred’s negotiator on Thursday, October 19, for our second bargaining session. We expected to receive a full response to our proposal but were soon met with incredible disappointment and frankly outrage as management almost categorically said "no" to every single proposal we made.  Management failed to present a wage proposal at all, though they promised to do so next week. Last week, we passed reasonable proposals for an improved wage scale that includes annual step increases, premium increases and additions that would bring Kindred in line with its market competitors, staffing, and safety. Management’s only substantive proposal was to say they would try to properly staff the hospital, but that no grievance could be filed if they failed to do so. Management’s NO to our proposals continues to make Kindred a negative outlier in the state on many topics.

We meet again next week on Wednesday, October 25.  The ball is in management’s court – will the hospital propose fair wages or continue to try plug holes with offering big signing bonuses to nurses who don’t stay instead of paying their current employees a fair wage?  Will management rethink their rejection of a step-based wage scale so that nurses can progress up the wage scale with longevity at Kindred like nurses do at other WA hospitals? Just because it has been Kindred’s practice in the past doesn’t mean it is a good practice now or one that should continue. The numbers tell the story. It is a bad practice!  Currently, 47 out of 66 nurses at Kindred have been here less than three years and the vacancy rate over the past year has been unacceptably high.  We need a wage scale that serves to attract and retain quality nurses instead of bleeding money in bonuses and incentives.  Why would a nurse stay when newly hired nurses with similar experience come in at a higher pay rate? They don’t. The numbers don’t lie.

We are continuing to invite nurses to join us for bargaining and observe management’s responses to our proposals. If you would like to observe negotiations, please contact Sam for details: 425-606-7036.

What can you do to support your team and advocate for a fair contract?

• Join us for bargaining, next session Wednesday 10/25 at 2 p.m. Contact Sam via text or phone call for details: 425-606-7036.
• Are you working on 10/25? Sign and circulate the petition demanding fair wages launching 10/25. Take picture with pen in hand and send those to Sam too - 425-606-7036
• Sticker up and file an ADO, tell them in writing when your unit is not safely staffed. Please fill out an ADO every time you don’t have the staffing you need, you miss breaks or meals, etc. Here is the link to the online ADO form and more information about ADOs.
   https://www.wsna.org/union/ado
• Attend or join Staffing Committee to help ensure bad, unsafe staffing plans don’t get adopted. Members of the committee must be relieved from work, and it is paid time. Please contact Sam via the number above or your Nurse Representative Sara Frey for more information or if you are turned away when trying to attend a meeting. sfrey@wsna.org