On Thursday, Nov. 19, we met with management for the second time to bargain over the Hospital’s proposed cuts to our transportation benefits. The Hospital related to us that these changes are NOT driven by COVID, nor are they a result of any decrease in revenue. The Hospital’s proposed takeaways include a decrease in our commute bonus from $3.50 to $3/day and loss of nearly all transportation benefits to those who are benefits ineligible. The hospital cited “equity” and “parity” as justification to make these changes. We would like to see inequity resolved by providing more benefits, not fewer.

Through bargaining, we mitigated these changes in impactful ways, including maintaining the ORCA card for benefits ineligible employees throughout 2021, an on-campus parking option for 25+ year nurses for 2021, a one-time $50 stipend for those benefits-ineligible RNs, and phased-in or delayed implementation of many of the Hospital’s proposed changes.

Not every RN is impacted by these changes, but many are. We will evaluate the effects of these changes over the next year when we prepare to bargain our successor agreement in 2022.

In solidarity,

Your local unit officers: Edna Cortez, Lindsey Kirsch, Diane Gates, Samantha Forte, Maria Sixto, Doris Taylor and Kara Yates.

Questions? Contact Edna or Lindsey, or our WSNA nurse repre­sen­ta­tive Sydne James, sjames@wsna.org.