In this edition of news you can use read about

• Conference committee updates
• Lobby day and Leadership Convention
• Investigation meeting tips
• Bargaining team members

Conference Committee

Our WSNA nurses met with management on October 16 for our monthly conference committee. This committee is in our union contract in Article 14.2. We discussed the following items-

• Compliance concerns: Slow to no response to nurses who have contacted compliance for compliance questions. It was shared that Tana Gonser is following up with Compliance to try to provide answers for lack of follow up.
• Investigation meetings: HR recently has only provided one single date to nurses being called to meet with HR and have threatened to hold meetings regardless of whether it works for the nurse or not. We expressed our desire that nurses be given multiple dates to work with our union for representation.
• PTO Use Beyond FTE: Our union is actively seeking the Employer’s position on why nurses are being forced to use their PTO if they make up their FTE with other shifts in the period. The past practice is that nurses are not paid OT for PTO days when nurses meet their FTE.

SAVE THE DATES- Leadership Convention and Lobby Day 

Our Leadership convention will be held in Wenatchee, WA on April 26-28, 2026. Nurses interested in attending should contact their local officers or WSNA Nurse Representative! Nurses may use education funds to cover time off or PTO and our union may have scholarship funds available to reimburse nurses who attend. Learn how to level up as a union nurse!

Lobby Day- Olympia, WA. January 29, 2026

The day starts at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast at the DoubleTree by Hilton Olympia. This will be followed by an education and training session designed to equip nurses with everything needed to speak effectively with legislators. Lunch will be served and from there nurses head up to the Capitol to visit with their own state legislators on issues important to nurses.

Your strong voices and subject matter expertise can make a meaningful impact in Olympia. By attending Lobby Day, you will learn more about WSNA’s legislative priorities and how to advocate for the changes necessary to protect nurses and ensure patient safety. Your voice is critical- register today!

Investigations

Have you been asked to meet with your manager and HR? The biggest tip for nurses when called to meet with HR or their manager is to CONTACT OUR UNION. Many interviews can be used for discipline, and every nurse is entitled to ask for a union rep. Here are some other tips-

• You are not stuck with the date they provide you with. Once you get a rep, you can coordinate dates that work for the nurse and the rep.
• You can request to go to the meeting on your day off or do it on your workday. Nurses are paid for their time spent in investigation meetings.
• Don’t go to these meetings by yourself.

Meet Your Bargaining Team

We are going to highlight nurses that will be bargaining our next union contract. Read their stories below so you know who to reach out to with questions!

Jen Haines- WSNA Co-Chair, NICU

I’ve been a nurse for 17 years and been in the NICU for 11 of those. I’ve been engaged in our union since 2020 and have served on the Staffing Committee for the last five years. This committee gives nurses the space to ensure our voices are heard and our staffing remains safe and equitable. I’m especially passionate about safe staffing and ensuring break nurses are consistently built into the defined staffing matrix to support both patient safety and nurse well-being. I’m a Pacific Northwest native so if I’m not at the hospital, you’ll likely find me enjoying summer on the water, boating, or camping with my family. As we head into this next round of bargaining, I’m looking forward to standing alongside all of you to fight for fair, safe, and sustainable staffing for every nurse and every patient.

Clint Wallace- 2S

I’ve been a nurse for 24 years and I’ve been in adult ICU and at Providence my entire career. I’m married to a nurse practitioner and I have four kids, I have two older kids who are 23 and 21, and twin 3 year old boys. My hobbies include water sports and snow sports. My wife and I also own and manage a small business outside of nursing. We’re busy!

This will be my 3rd time on the WSNA negotiation team.  I have a passion for the nursing profession. With the number of responsibilities of this work, we know nurses are the backbone of the medical community and we deserve to be compensated and protected at the utmost highest level.

Julie Walters- WSNA Grievance, Peds Surgery Center

I have worked at Sacred Heart since 1991 and have worked on many pediatric service lines throughout that time. I came into the WSNA team about a year ago as the grievance officer after being a steward for about a year.

For contract bargaining, I’d like to get the benefit situation straightened out. It has been a significant hardship for a lot of our members.

Questions? Contact your WSNA Nurse Representative Alle Machorro at amachorro@wsna.org