Our bargaining team, who led the charge during the 10 negotiation sessions, secured an agreement they can confidently recommend for a YES vote. They achieved wages higher than those of St. Joseph's and fought off  the takeaways PeaceHealth was demanding until the very end.

Your bargaining committee won:

• Significant Wage Increases to address the high Cost of Living on the Island, including:
  • Increasing the Hospital Base wage by $5.00, and the Clinic Base wage by $5.10;
  • Year 1 Increases ranging from 11-13%, Depending on Step;
  • Year 2 Increase of 3.25% and Year 3 Increase of 3% for all steps
  • The elimination of “ghost” or “0%” Step Increases, so that all years of service are recognized with a wage improvement
  • All increases are effective the first pay period of July

• Improved scheduling rights for FTE nurses and PIMC Per Diem nurses, including:
  • Giving priority to PIMC Per Diem nurses with a secondary job code in a different department, and;
  • Removing the barrier to FTE nurses making scheduling requests above 1.0 FTE; and
  • Ensuring that the schedule is both readable and accessible.
    
• Improved threshold for Report Pay (i.e. the Employer must provide more advanced warning when/if asking nurses to not report to work);
  
• Improved NTL premium and established premium-parity for Relief NTLs;
  
• Increased bereavement leave, as well as contractual protections for taking bereavement leave intermittently; 
  
• Improvements to the Grievance process;
  
• Enhanced protections against threats & workplace violence;
  
• “Virtual Callback” to ensure compensation for work performed via telephone or computer outside nurses’ regularly scheduled hours of work.

Our bargaining team spent all 10 days of negotiations and countless hours on preparation, keeping all PIMC nurses informed about what was happening at the table and what we all needed to do to show our solidarity. Now, we can show our appreciation for their hard work that led to a great contract by donating PTO to them.

Our ratification will be an electronic vote held on July 24 and 25. Watch for more details!

In Solidarity,
Your bargaining team

Lesley Preysz – ED
Morgan Timmons – ED
Julie Bielau – PACU
Zanna Cochran – Clinic
Chris Wachholz – Per Diem

Contact on of your team members or WSNA Nurse Rep Barbara Friesen (bfriesen@wsna.org) with questions.