Twice over the weekend Seattle Children’s fed you misinformation about the extension agreement we reached late Friday afternoon.  The Hospital told you we got retro pay bonuses only for the members of the bargaining team – that was FALSE!  We got those bonuses for each and every nurse covered by the contract.  The so-called “correction” SCH sent on Saturday only created more confusion because instead of clearly telling you the bonus is for all nurses, it said it was for “bargaining members.”  Again, FALSE.

How hard is it to say the bonuses are for the “entire bargaining unit” or “all nurses”? Not hard at all.  Hey SCH – here’s how you do it:

The extension agreement reached on Friday provides -

• FOR EVERY NURSE IN THE BARGAINING UNIT a bonus equivalent to retro pay for the new wage increase for all straight time, overtime, and double time hours worked from 9/1 to the day before the new CBA goes into effect if we reach a full agreement by the end of the month, and that agreement ratifies.
• FOR EVERY NURSE IN THE BARGAINING UNIT the right to have their union conduct an informational picket if we don’t reach a full agreement by September 8.
• FOR EVERY NURSE IN THE BARGAINING UNIT continued wages, benefits, and contract terms for the month of September, including access to the grievance procedure if the Employer violates your CBA rights.

Still not sure what to believe?  Read the language for yourself in paragraph 4 of the Agreement here.

Did WSNA secure something for the bargaining team that has been working tirelessly on your behalf?  Yes.  We got the ability to participate in bargaining without impact to the nurses’ FTE requirements or benefits and a bonus equal to the time spent in bargaining, but only if we reach a full agreement by the end of the month, and that agreement ratifies.  The Hospital has been dragging its heels in bargaining, and this has been taking a toll on the team’s ability to participate in these negotiations while working their full FTEs and managing family and life. These accommodations will alleviate some of that burden if we are able to reach a deal this month.

When the Hospital came to WSNA asking for an extension to the CBA until we reach a new agreement, WSNA made sure we got wage protections for ALL nurses in the bargaining unit.  Instead of being honest about this, Seattle Children’s fed you misinformation, not once but twice over the holiday weekend. It makes us wonder why the Hospital would want to pretend the bargaining team was in it for themselves.  Is it because they want to undermine your Union’s strength?  Don’t let them!

Get ready to fight!  We limited this extension to 30 days so that, if we don’t have a deal by Sept. 30, the bargaining team can decide whether we should extend the CBA again or whether we should let it expire so we can exercise our full rights to strike, picket, and take other lawful actions to stand up against the Hospital’s unfair practices and to fight for a better deal.

But wait, there's more! Management has been busy lately!

In addition to the harsh takeaways proposed last week at the bargaining table, and sending out misleading information around our contract extension, SCH management has also been removing union information from bulletin boards! What will they think of next?

It is more important than ever that we stand together and not allow these divisive tactics to win. Come get all of the info at our weekly micro update sessions. 30-minute video call with bargaining team and officers offering the bare minimum what you need to know about bargaining.

Date and time TBD

Even better- come witness the shenanigans first-hand as an observer at bargaining.

Upcoming Bargaining Dates:

September 4
September 8
September 18

Meet us at 1916 Boren Avenue

Reach out to our WSNA Organizer Crystal Doll for more info: cdoll@wsna.org.

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, Anne Marie Fountain and Bree Casas

WSNA Nurse Rep Linda Burbank at lburbank@wsna.org