Yesterday, July 9, your WSNA bargaining team met with Management for our third bargaining session.

· Article 7 Hours of Work and Overtime

United in our blue scrubs, on Wednesday we proposed sweeping Article 7 reforms that would ensure nurses get all their rest breaks and meal periods. Our proposal replaces the flawed break buddy system with hospital-wide Break Relief Nurses, which are RNs with no patient assignments whose sole work responsibility is caring for the patients of a nurse so that nurse can take uninterrupted meal and rest periods. One of several WSNA proposals targeting nurse health and safety, our break nurse proposal would improve patient care, reduce nurse fatigue, and protect nurses from retaliation for reporting missed breaks. Our Article 7 proposal also enhances contract overtime and modifies the language for Baylor positions. Bargaining team member, Kara Yates, will be at work this Sunday if the Baylors want more info. She's happy to chat.

· Article 6 Seniority

Wednesday we also proposed language changes in Article 6 and the addendums on innovative work schedules. We proposed changing the order in which no pays/cancelations happen to reflect fairer representation for our per diem nurses. We also included parameter changes around mandatory no-pays.

Disappointing Counterproposals 

We received the Hospital's initial counterproposals. Although we were encouraged that SCH recognizes systemic racism exists through the healthcare system and that it agreed not to discriminate against its nurses, we were sorely disappointed that the Hospital rejected almost all WSNA’s language on anti-racism, the nursing code of ethics, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Overall, we perceive the Hospital’s proposals as seeking to limit our rights, diminish our collective power, and - when it comes to language around antiracism and DEI - adopt a cowering stance in an effort to protect "our funding sources." We are determined to stand our ground against any attempts to undermine the victories we've fought so hard to achieve through the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) of our past.

United and Unwavering 

Even though many of our proposals were turned down, we remain united and unwavering in our commitment to amplifying your voices. We will fiercely advocate for our rights and dignity as nurses, ensuring that they are honored and respected.

Observer Spotlight

Hi! I’m Marga, and I work in the Neurodevelopment Clinic. I have now observed two bargaining sessions and hope to attend more! I got to watch members of our bargaining team dive into the nitty gritty of our contract language, coming together as a team to fully understand the impacts of certain articles on patient care and staff safety across the hospital and in each of the various units where we do our work as nurses. Seeing the tone that leadership brings into these sessions has been eye opening - and I would strongly encourage anyone who can attend a session to do so. Tip: pack a lunch!

Grab your popcorn and RSVP for a front-row seat to watch the art of negotiation in action!

Upcoming bargaining dates for July:

Monday, July 21
Tuesday, July 22

Other things to keep on your radar

Every other Friday, Officers and members of our bargaining team will host a drop-in meet and greet at Magnuson Brewery.

Local Unit Meeting at the Mountaineers Club on August 2nd - More details to come.

Want to help in another way or have more fun ideas on how to bring us all together? Reach out to any of our Officers or our WSNA Organizer Crystal Doll at CDoll@wsna.org.

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, Lori Hall, Regan Halom, Jon McAferty, Anna Marie Fountain and Bree Casas

Questions? Contact your Bargaining Team Members or WSNA Nurse Representative Linda Burbank lburbank@wsna.org