Show Up For Our Contract!
Posted Mar 16, 2026
The time is NOW for our nurses to show up for our contract. We’ve asked for nurses to come to local unit meetings, we’ve asked nurses to sign their love letters and wear buttons. We NEED our nurses to show up in our bargaining room and help us secure a fair contract. We encourage every nurse to read this information about observing and sign up to observe the next few sessions of contract negotiations.
Where do I start?
Nurses sign up on our Microsoft forms link here for either a full day session or half-day session for any upcoming bargaining dates. Once signed up, arrive at the assigned room in your WSNA shirt and any swag you have at the time we provide you. We’ll give you our guideline tip sheet and answer any questions you may have!
What can I do as an observer?
Nurses can sit in both our joint sessions with management and our internal caucus with our WSNA team. From time to time, we ask for nurse’s feedback on proposals we are discussing or for clarification on how language is being operationalized across the hospital.
Rachael Lamb RN NICU recently observed our negotiation session and has a message for our nurses
“Learning the process of negotiations was very valuable to me. I remember feeling frustrated during the past bargaining sessions. Wondering why they took so long, not understanding the nuances of why we ask for what we ask for, not realizing the strategy of it all. I now have knowledge of how the process works, of how the lawyers work, and a better understanding of why each session takes time. I thoroughly recommend observing sometime. Not only for a better appreciation of how this process works, but to show our solidarity and strength. They make it so easy. Signing up is simple and you can choose your commitment time of 4 hours or the whole day. Our WSNA officers are working really hard for us during negotiation sessions and behind the scenes. It's not something you realize until you actually observe the process. They volunteer so much of their time for us. This is the least we can do for them.”
What can’t I do as an observer?
Occasionally our executive team needs to take votes on final language or take a position on a proposal. Observers are not part of our executive team and therefore cannot vote if a vote is needed.
How does being an observer help?
Solidarity means standing with one another. Standing with our nurses as we work our shift and standing with our bargaining team as they negotiate on our behalf. We are 2,000 strong at Sacred Heart and there is no reason, aside from shift work, that all our nurses shouldn’t be in the bargaining room with us. The contract impacts all our wages, hours, and working conditions, and our nurses need to know what’s going on. Management can get complacent engaging with our executive team, and we find that they respond differently when they are held accountable to more of our nurses in the room and in the process. Audra Fritz RN NICU shared her experience from observing recently
“I would challenge every nurse to observe a bargaining session. Our team is working diligently on our behalf to ensure a fair contract for each one of us. It is incredibly insightful to watch them take into account our priorities from our surveys, strategize and discuss all angles of each proposal. I expected to be a little bored over some of the minute details but found myself really engaged for the entire 4 hours. Our team is fighting hard for us and what an opportunity this is to be able to watch this process while showing our support to our team.”
Our contract is not alone in welcoming nurses to our bargaining team in this way and we have seen nurses make an impact at different tables.
WSNA nurses at Providence Kadlec extended their bargaining team for observers and over 15 nurses came and shared their stories about insufficient break relief. This team continues to fight for proper break nurse relief and is bargaining with a federal mediator.
WSNA St. Joe’s Bellingham PACKED their bargaining room with over 100 observers at one point. This pressure helped this team secure improvements to their health insurance, elimination of ghost step wages, and maintenance of certain benefits including EIB and double-time protections.
WSNA Mary Bridge NICU actively used their extending bargaining team to apply pressure to their leadership team. Through consistency and dedication this team was able to achieve a solid TA for their nurses.
NEXT BARGAINING DATES
March 17, March 18, and March 27
Sign up today to observe our negotiations and bring two colleagues! If every unit could send two nurses to observe, we could easily overwhelm the space we are bargain in. Our sessions on 3/17 and 3/18 will have extended hours into the evening as our team continues to grind on our behalf for a fair contract. We need our nurses to show up and support us and remember - WE are WSNA.
Questions? Contact our bargaining team members or our WSNA Nurse Representative Alle Machorro at amachorro@wsna.org
