Chair
Kathy Arnesen
Contract
Latest update
April 2025 Newsletter
Posted Apr 2, 2025
Unit Scheduler LOU has been ratified!
The LOU preserving the benefits of the Unit Schedulers has been ratified by the nurses of the WSNA bargaining unit. Congratulations RNs!
The tentative agreement reached titled “Letter of Understanding: Unit Schedulers” will now ensure our WSNA nurses have this personal connection and benefit for the coming months! You can view and download the final LOU from the local unit web page.
Low Census and PTO Accrual – what you need to know when entering codes
The new transition to Symplr has been less than perfect and the bumps in the road continue. We want our valuable nurse to have accurate information at their finger tips to help dodge the curveballs with the new system. Recently, an RN noticed when being low censused she did not accrue PTO for her low census hours as the contract allows. Because of this, she reached out to WSNA, and the issue was escalated. We have been told a nurses must enter “LC Unpaid” if they want to get PTO credit while on low census. If a nurse enters “LCV Unpaid” this code does NOT allow nurses to accrue PTO. If you have by chance, entered in the wrong code, and did not accrue PTO hours while on LC please let us know ASAP so we can help get this corrected for you.
WSNA’s unfair labor practice charge against PeaceHealth will get a hearing
PeaceHealth’s threat to cancel employees’ health insurance if they go on strike will now get a hearing for an unfair labor practice. Region 19 of the National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against PeaceHealth over these threats. The Region 19 complaint came after its investigators found merit to an unfair labor practice charge filed by the Washington State Nurses Association in late 2023. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 12, 2025.
WSNA filed the unfair labor practice in October 2023 after PeaceHealth’s statements to employees and the media during a strike at PeaceHealth Southwest in Vancouver and PeaceHealth St. John in Longview.
The strike was organized by the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professions, which represents more than 1,700 techs, janitorial employees, and others at both facilities.
During the strike, PeaceHealth threatened to pull health benefits from striking employees, citing the move in statements to the press as its “standard practice that applies to any caregiver (union-represented or not.)”
“This was a blanket statement that covered all employees, including WSNA-represented nurses, their coworkers in other unions, and unrepresented workers alike,” said Kelly Skahan, labor counsel at WSNA. “We couldn’t let this threat go unchallenged.” In its filing, WSNA said that PeaceHealth had violated Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act, which prohibits employers from interfering with, restraining or coercing employees in their exercise of protected rights.
WSNA argued that the threat to revoke health insurance from any striking worker could reasonably chill protected activity by giving workers the impression they will lose their health benefits if they exercise their protected rights.
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Hearing an employer threaten to cancel striking workers’ health benefits could obviously make other workers hesitate to strike in the future, even when they have every right to do so. It’s important to WSNA that workers aren’t discouraged from exercising their protected rights because of unlawful threats or intimidation.”
— Kelly Skahan - WSNA Labor Counsel
Investigatory Meetings and You
Do you know your rights in an investigatory meeting?
We have prepared an investigatory interview guide for WSNA union members.
Use this link to open the document. Understanding your representation rights - WSNA
Protect yourself and know your rights.
Not getting WSNA emails? No fear, we can fix this for you! Email Jaclyn Smedley BSN, RN at jsmedley@wsna.org and we will get it resolved.
Previous updates
Letter of Understanding (LOU): Unit Schedulers electronic VOTE will be MONDAY3/24!
Mar 18, 2025
Letter of Understanding: Unit Schedulers VOTE!
Mar 12, 2025
Hybrid Training- Spokane Investigation Workshop
Mar 03, 2025
PeaceHealth St. John weekend bonus update
Feb 07, 2025
PeaceHealth St. John WSNA Updates!
Jan 17, 2025
It's Time to Elect New Officers!
Dec 18, 2024
WSNA union news
Resources and tools
Document unsafe conditions
If you find yourself in a situation that you believe creates unsafe conditions for patients or for you, you should complete a Staffing Complaint / ADO Form as soon as possible.
By completing the form, you will help make the problem known to management, creating an opportunity for the problem to be addressed. Additionally, you will be documenting the facts, which may be helpful to you later if there is a negative outcome.
WSNA also uses your ADO forms to track the problems occurring in your facility. When you and your coworkers take the important step of filling out an ADO form, you are helping to identify whether there is a pattern of unsafe conditions for you or your patients at your facilities. This information is used by your conference committee, staffing committee, and WSNA labor staff to improve your working conditions.
Representation rights
As a union member, you have the right to have a representative present in any meetings with management that could potentially lead to disciplinary action against you.
If called into a meeting with management, read the following to management when the meeting begins:
If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, I respectfully request that my union representative be present at this meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to participate in this discussion.
Find out more about this crucial right and how to exercise it to ensure your fair treatment and protection.
Continuing education offerings
Enhance your professional competency with WSNA's free online courses.
Earn CNE contact hours through topics like Cultural Humility, Telehealth Assessment, Workplace Violence Prevention, and more. Convenient and self-paced, our courses provide practical knowledge for your daily work. Expand your skills and stay up-to-date with the latest nursing practices.