Your Bargaining Team proudly recommends this agreement for ratification by the membership

Wage increases: 10/1/2017 – 3.25%, 10/1/2018 – 3%, 10/1/2019 – 3.25%

New Step 32 added 1.5% above the current top step (Step 30)

Staffing: The agreement includes language to bolster the Nurse Staffing Committee to enable nurses to better advocate for our patients’ care with safe staffing. In addition, the bargaining team secured a contractual commitment requiring the hospital to staff at a level to ensure (1) nurses will receive meal and rest breaks, (2) nurses can utilize our accrued PTO, (3) nurses will not receive patient assignments above the established matrix except in emergent circumstances and (4) charge nurses will not carry full patient assignments whenever possible.

Health Insurance: The bargaining team heard your concerns regarding PeaceHealth insurance. We worked very hard to make improvements to the health care at SJMC. Unfortunately, we could not move our employer on this issue. We encourage members to continue to raise problems and concerns regarding health care to us so that we can continue to look for solutions.

Additional Improvements and changes:

• Strengthen the non-discrimination clause by adding gender to the list of protected classes.
• The Medical Center can only remove a charge nurse from her/his position for just cause. In addition, charge nurses will no longer have to use their education funds to attend mandatory annual leadership classes.
• Work schedules will be 6 week cycles to allow nurses to better plan their time outside of work.
• Changes in relief nurse scheduling - relief nurses do not have to provide their availability until 14 days before the posting of the schedule. In a six-week work cycle, relief nurses will have to give 8 available shifts (2 weekends) and work 4 shifts (1 weekend).
• Increase the relief nurse differential in lieu of benefits to 15%.
• Improvement in low census language – hours will count toward the low census maximum even if the nurse is offered another work opportunity.
• Designated charge nurses in the OB unit will be included in the low census equitable rotation.
• Increase designated charge nurse pay to $2.50 and then to $3.00 on 7/1/18. Increase relief charge nurse pay to $2.50 effective 7/1/18.
• Nurses can use the Medical Center internet to access the contract on the WSNA website.
• Hours worked in a call back situation will count as a shift for the purpose of the Rest Between Shifts premium.
• Nurses are eligible for mileage reimbursement for driving within the city of Longview.
• Increase the preceptor pay to $2.00 for precepting nurses and $1.00 for precepting nurse students.
• Introductory (probationary) Period is 120 days but time spent in unit orientation counts towards that 120 days.
• Expansion of bereavement leave – a nurse may use bereavement leave for the death of a “significant person in the family life of the nurse.”
• Removal of on call language for Float Pool and ICU.
• PTO – Earlier request and approval of PTO requests. The bargaining team fought off the Medical Center’s attempts to reduce PTO accrual caps.

Your bargaining team listened to your concerns and interests. We worked hard to represent your needs to the hospital at the bargaining table. We strongly believe that this contract recognizes our contributions to this hospital while giving us an ongoing voice to speak on behalf of our patients, our community and ourselves. Therefore, we recommend that you join us in voting to ratify this agreement.

Your WSNA Bargaining Team,

Jeanne Avey Sarah Rice
Evelyn Schill Laura Jensen
Mike Rogen Annie Johnson
Mary Hegnes Amy Boultinghouse
Tami Wheeldon