Our Joint NWH-UWMC Negotiating Team recommends adoption of a newly negotiated Addendum to the Transition Agreement which will be voted for ratification on October 17. As you will recall, both NHW and the UWMC nurses ratified a Transition Agreement April 16, 2019. Recently your Joint Team met with management several times to discuss items that the employer felt needed to be addressed as part of the UWMC/NWH transition. We were able to come to a Tentative Agreement on changes that were required by UWMC to meet their system needs. There are no takeaways for NWH nurses. In fact, most of the changes are benefits to NW RNs. The entire Agreement will be available for inspection at the ratification vote.

Highlighted Changes

1. Longevity: As of January 1, 2021, “Step” advances will be done “annually” for all RNs at NWH and no longer be based on “hours worked.” This will benefit countless NWH RNs by advancing the dates they would otherwise qualify for step increases.
2. Seniority/Layoff: At the end of 2019, NWH seniority will be calculated for all nurses and credited going forward. As of January 1, 2020, credit for additional seniority will be calculated on an “annual” basis for all nurses, rather than on hours worked. Contract language will be changed in the NWH Agreement to reflect portions of the layoff language from the UWMC. The layoff language will be nearly in sync with UWMC and allows bumping house wide without unit restrictions.
3. Anniversary Date: For NWH FTE nurse’s anniversary dates (Progression Start Dates) will be changed to the first of the month of their current date. Step increases will be awarded earlier.
4. Policies: More generous policies from UWMC will be implemented at NWH including those addressing the Federal Family & Medical Leave Act, Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave, Washington State Shared Leave, the UW Disability Leave Policy, and Bereavement Leave.
5. Union Access: Revised WSNA access language will be helpful for day to day access to our RNs at NWH.

Vacation Accrual: Newly revised and accelerated vacation accrual tables for RNs at both NWH and UWMC will start in July 2021.

*Effective January 1, 2020

*Effective June 30, 2021:

Vote Date: October 17, 2019

Please show up and bring a colleague. Only members in good standing can cast a vote.

In Solidarity!

Your WSNA Bargaining Team:

Tiffany Guyette, BSN, RN, Local Unit Chair

John Brown, RN, Local Unit Co-Chair

Anita Stull, RN, UWMC Local Unit Officer

Teresa Wren, RN, UWMC Local Unit Officer

Ed Zercher, BSN, RN; WSNA Nurse Rep (UWMC)

Terri Williams, MS, RN Nurse Rep (UW/NW)

Questions? Contact any of the nurses and/or officers listed above, or WSNA Nurse Representative Terri Williams, MS, RN twilliams@wsna.org.