But first, the Info Picket -

We’re at a pivotal moment in our bargaining saga, and it's time to show up at our picket on September 30. Depending on how these last negotiation days go, we will likely have reached a point where we can accept a contract that closely resembles the Hospital’s proposals—complete with takeaways like our employer-paid insurance programs, or we can show up collectively and demand more. We absolutely MUST turn out in droves to prove just how committed we are to fighting for what we deserve. Last time, over 1,000 nurses stepped up, but it's time to be real: we can and should do better than that. With your support, your officers and bargaining team have been pushing a boulder uphill, but here’s the deal—**we need ALL hands on deck** to help transform that boulder into a pebble. It’s time to show that we’re not just here for the ride; we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and spread our message beyond our hospital! Your presence isn’t just appreciated; it’s crucial. Let’s take this opportunity to show how strong we are together!

Picket times are intentionally scheduled to accommodate on- and off-shift times for our nurses working that day or the night before. We'll be there at 5 am to set up for early risers who like to get a head start. Helping hands welcome.

The morning session is from 6 am to 9 am, and the afternoon session is from 11 am to 2 pm.

FREE mini-donuts in the morning and two food trucks in the afternoon.

WSNA, your officers, and your bargaining team are committed to you. Now is the time to demonstrate your commitment to one another and to this fight for a STRONG and FAIR contract!

Now onto the update from yesterday's 15th bargaining session -

Early in the day, the Hospital presented us with counterproposals on two articles (5 and 6) that reflected many of our requests in previous proposals. We thank them for the progress, especially in areas such as technology, FTE changes, and the order nurses will be called off for mandatory no-pay. There are a few key sticking points, notably the Hospital’s continued insistence that we waive our nurses' right to a jury trial for discrimination or harassment lawsuits, to waive our nurses’ rights to file class action lawsuits, and to force nurses into binding arbitration when their rights have been violated. We have repeatedly expressed to them that the Union has no interest in erecting barriers to justice or to restrict our nurses' access to their full rights under the law.  We cited the importance of cases like the Dr. Danielson jury trial and the recent class actions over rest and meal breaks when we rejected their proposal last time. Today, Seattle Children’s said those sorts of lawsuits are often not being driven by the pursuit of justice but to rack up legal fees for lawyers. We think nurses subject to a racially hostile work environment and who work through their breaks would disagree.

Seattle Children’s continues to try to use these negotiations to get the Union to waive nurses’ rights rather than to invest in common-sense solutions that would ensure nurses’ rights would not be violated in the first place.  We hope Seattle Children’s returns to their core values.  And quick.

Our team worked diligently over the past week to further identify key contract priorities. We understand our responsibility to all of you to negotiate an improved contract, and we also know that we have reached the point in negotiations where everything (from both sides) is on the table. It's time to focus on the issues you care about most and bring them to a successful conclusion.  To that end, we passed two package proposals that must be accepted or rejected in their entirety.

• The first would double sick leave accrual rates, provide additional sick leave hours to nurses whose banks were depleted during COVID, and eliminate attendance infractions in certain situations where nurses must call out sick.
  
• The second puts workplace violence protections front and center by, among many other improvements, guaranteeing two security personnel on the PBMU in addition to security or other safety personnel assigned to behavioral watch and 2:1 staffed patients. It would also provide nurses with paid administrative leave to cover time needed to heal from workplace violence events.  We explained (again) that workplace violence at Seattle Children’s is a constant reality our nurses face, so it needs to be given special attention.

We also maintained an ambitious wage proposal that would add $9 to the base wage in year 1, bringing wages up to $56.60 at the base and $90.35 at the top of scale. Under our proposal, all nurses would receive a $3.50 fixed wage increase on top of a cost-of-living increase in years 2 and 3.

We approached today with creative solutions and substantial compromise, while staying laser-focused on the issues we know are vital to you.

The Hospital has asked to involve a federal mediator in this process. (This is a neutral, experienced person provided by the government to step in and help the parties bridge their differences.) Our lawyer had a productive conversation with the mediator on Tuesday.  The mediator shared that he is not available to assist the parties on the scheduled bargaining dates this week and next, but that he can help in October if we are still bargaining then.  Hopefully, Seattle Children’s will engage with our sincere efforts to reduce the number of issues in dispute, by focusing on the improvements WSNA has proposed to enhance patient safety, nurse health and security, and wages that will allow nurses to live where they work.  That way, if these negotiations extend to October, working with the mediator can be productive and efficient.

Stay tuned, as we will be sharing important information about rest and meal breaks and the related waivers to help you understand your rights.

A HUGE shout out to Urgent Care for providing a delicious lunch for the Bargaining Team! Thank you Bre Eberli (Surgical) for the yummy cookies! The food and treats were amazing. 💙

Join us today (9/25) from 5:30-6:30 pm for the Sip n Chat to get real-time updates and answers to your questions!

Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 257 872 527 483
Passcode: uu28dX7e
Dial in by phone
+1 206-485-2614,,344466300# United States, Seattle
(888) 313-0615,,344466300# United States (Toll-free)
Phone conference ID: 344 466 300#

We will see you at the Informational Picket on September 30! Let the countdown begin. 

YOU ARE WSNA! 

Do not hesitate to contact any of the officers if you have questions. All of our contacts are on our WSNA website. https://www.wsna.org/union/seattle-childrens-hospital. Also, utilizing our Instagram @sch_wsna offers quick updates and opportunities for DMs.

In solidarity,

Your Bargaining Team
Annika Hoogestraat, Kara Yates, Lindsey Kirsch, Sam Forte, Katie Podobnik, Therese Hill, Kelsey Gellner, AJ Nagal, Emma Gordon, Sarah Munro, Cody Ian, Lauren Lustyk, Regan Halom, Jon McAferty and Anne Marie Fountain

WSNA Nurse Rep Linda Burbank at lburbank@wsna.org