Can you believe it is time to start preparing for contract negoti­a­tions? It seems like we have not had any rest since finishing the long, hard struggle of getting our current contract, which expires July 31, 2022. This was followed by the pandemic, the Covington investigation, the Juneteenth issue, the cancellation of Nurses Week and the current staffing issues. We know you are tired but we must keep pushing for the things that matter to us.

Our last negoti­a­tions were diffi­cult and we learned a lot. The most impor­tant thing we learned was that the number of nurses that actively partic­i­pate in the process directly corelates to what happens at the bargaining table.

Earlier this year you completed a “pre-survey survey.” Your responses helped us to know what questions to ask in this longer survey, which is a vital step in preparing for our contract negoti­a­tions. We must know your issues and concerns before we start negotiating. It is also impor­tant that we get huge partic­i­pa­tion from this starting point and throughout the entire negoti­a­tion process in order to get the best possible contract.

Please take the time to take the survey now and don’t stop there! You can actively partic­i­pate now by getting every SCH nurse you know to take it too. Our power and strength come from all of us united and working together for the same goal. (Plan to take the survey when you have 10 minutes because you may not be able to save it and come back later if you do not finish.)

Use this QR code to share the survey with your RN colleagues. We look forward to reading each and every survey response!

In Solidarity,
WSNA Local Unit Officers: Edna Cortez, Kara Yates, Lindsey Kirsch, Diane Gates, Maria Sixto, Samantha Forte, Erin Doyle

Sydne James, WSNA Nurse Rep sjames@wsna.org, 206.575.7979 ext. 3004