Our WSNA nurses met with management for a full day of contract negotiations and made significant progress on multiple articles. We had productive conversations to help both parties understand language and changes being proposed. Our team has been able to make tentative agreements on some proposals including the following

• Increased carryover on annual leave from 80 to 120
• Increasing many premiums in our Appendix A including
• Charge nurse premium
• Evening shift differential
• Night shift differential
• Standby premium
• Weekend differential
• Preceptor premium

Our union has reiterated several proposals that are deeply important to us that we hope to receive a response on including the following

• Proposing language in the Safety Committee that nurses receive a written response when they report workplace violence
• Clarifying language in 11.2 about how part-time workers accrue annual leave that it accrues as a full time FTE nurse
• Creating NEW definitional language for SANE nurses and appropriate exam compensation for that care provided

Both parties are still having extensive discussions around staffing language in our contract including the following

• Management proposed to remove language in our contract that states they will provide staffing levels that enable nurses to regularly receive meals and rest breaks and make every effort to provide adequate staff to support the staffing plan in effect.
  • We have rejected that language and have reiterated that it be maintained as current contract language.
• Management has proposed language that delineates floating to take an assignment and floating to task for nurses. We continue to have discussions around this and what premium pay could look like for these functions if they are delineated out formally in our contract.
• Meal and rest break waivers to include waiving options for 12-hour nurses who would otherwise be required to take 2, 30-minute meal periods

Lastly, we are still having conversations on our across-the-board raises and health insurance benefits. Our union has asked the Employer for some concrete examples of how benefits have changed with the loss of the 20% employee discount. There have been concerns raised about the legality of a discount program related to high deductible health plans. We are committed to reviewing the information they provide and finding a solution that works for all of our nurses related to compensation and benefits.

How YOU can support your bargaining team:

1. On bargaining days- wear your WSNA T shirt, blue scrubs, button or sticker to show you stand with your team. Take a picture with your coworkers and send it to your nurse rep Alle Machorro at 206-707-2048.
2. Union membership- Join WSNA today. When you become a member, it shows management that nurses are paying attention
3. Stay informed- read your personal emails for bargaining updates and ask your colleagues if they have read them too!

Thank you to our nurses for continuing to support our work at the bargaining table. If you have questions, contact your WSNA Nurse Rep Alle Machorro at amachorro@wsna.org.