What’s going on today?
We continue to engage in robust discussion around wages and economics in an effort to bridge large gaps between our position and where the employer is on wages and economics. We have reached a couple of tentative agreements on language and will continue to work in the hope of achieving more.

We continue to push for compensation that rewards experienced Children's nurses and lifts up newer nurses’ wages enough so that they can to afford to live in the community. We want Seattle Children’s to once again be a hospital that attracts great nurses from across the country.

Get ready for the Information Picket!
The WSNA bargaining team has scheduled an informational picket for August 9, 2022 in front of the hospital. If you haven’t signed the picket pledge for August 9 yet, find a unit rep, officer, bargaining team member or save and send this fillable pledge form and sign up now! You may also contact Nurse Rep Travis Elmore Nelson at telmore@wsna.org,

There will be 2 windows of time to join the picket 0600-0900 and 1200-1500. WE NEED EVERY NURSE ON THE PICKET LINE! Our strength is in our UNITY!

Click here to read our recently published Information Picket FAQ’s

What else?
A lot has happened, and we are just getting started:

• Union Co-Chair Kara Yates publishes Op-Ed in the Seattle Times!
  • “Many of us became nurses because it is a calling. Many of us have left because — as nursing currently stands — we are devalued as humans.” Bargaining team member, Union co-chair and charge nurse in Forest 3 Kara Yates speaks truth to power in her op-ed in the Seattle Times published today: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/stand-by-nurses-the-backbone-of-hospital-care/.
• Today WSNA gave an update on these contract negotiations to the Washington State Labor Council. WSNA officially asked the Washington State Labor Council to show support for Children’s Nurses and join us on the picket line. Here are the remarks to labor leaders from across the state:
  • “WSNA represents 1800 registered nurses at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Our members are in negotiations and fighting for safe staffing and competitive wages. The kind of wages that are needed to recruit and retain nurses who work and live in our community, rather than relying on non-union travel agency nurses to fill staffing gaps.
    
    The hospital's failure to provide competitive wages has resulted in 20% of RN positions at Children’s being vacant and as you can imagine, this short staffing is not just a problem for nurses, but for the patients they serve as well. At the table management has provided lip service in support of the goal to attract and retain nurses but their actions and response to our proposals do not align with their lip service. This is a hospital that has the resources to fix this problem. Last year alone Children’s made over $300 million in profits. Our members are demanding that this hospital put the needs of patients and nurses before profits.
    
    The nurses will be holding an informational Picket on Tuesday, August 9 and we invite and encourage all of you to join us in that action. There will be 2 picket sessions, from 6 - 9 a.m. and noon to 3 p.m.
    
    We look forward to seeing you there!”

• On July 20, about a dozen Seattle Children’s nurses engaged in a powerful discussion with the offices of Senator Frockt, Representative Valdez, Representative Taylor, Representative Berry, and Representative Pollet. Every legislator committed to joining us on the picket line if able!

• On July 19, 2 members of our bargaining team gave testimony before the Seattle City Council on the current state of contract negotiations and concerns related to the hospitals problems retaining nurses.
• Recently, the bargaining team made a demand to meet directly with the Board of Trustees. Our request was denied, however Dr. Sperring offered to meet with some nurses under certain terms. We continue to discuss terms of that meeting to see whether it is feasible to have a substantial conversation in light of the Hospital’s terms. We hope to have more to share soon!

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In Solidarity,
Your negotiating team: Co-Chair Edna Cortez, PACU; Co-Chair Kara Yates, Medical Unit; Grievance Officer Diane Gates, PICU; Secretary/Treasurer Lindsey Kirsch, Urgent Care; Grievance Officer Erin Doyle, PATCH; Grievance Officer Samantha Lake, Operating Room; Katie Podobnik, Ambulatory; Sarah Munro, Bellevue Surgery Center; Shaina Lawson, NICU; Stefanie Chandos, ED; Annika Hoogesteraat, CVICU

Please contact Travis Elmore Nelson, WSNA Nurse Rep at telmore@WSNA.org or 206-575-7979 ext. 3117 with questions or to find out what you can do to get a fair contract!