We met for our third contract negoti­a­tion session with the county on Nov. 10, 2020.

In 2019, the County came to the bargaining table with proposals to significantly rewrite our entire contract, to be more in line with the other labor groups’ CBAs. The County has taken up where we left off last year, continuing to propose standardizing parts of our contract.

We have been scrutinizing the County’s proposed language carefully to ensure that it does not diminish the rights nurses enjoy under our current agreement. We have reached tentative agreements on many items, including improved bereavement leave and parental leave. We are also pushing back hard against proposed takeaways related to vacation leave.

The County continues to emphasize the difficult financial situation they face, and the uncertainty of what the future holds for the County’s finances. The County has made an initial proposal of a two-year contract, with a 0% wage increase in the first year and a 1% wage increase in year two. We have continued to advocate firmly for an improved wage offer.

Our next scheduled bargaining session is November 24. You can help us get the best contract by showing your support of your bargaining team. You should have received two WSNA buttons in the mail last week. Pick your favorite and wear it every day to show your support.

In Solidarity,

Your WSNA Negoti­ating Team: Sean Dumas, Chair; Lois Schipper, Vice Chair; Amy Curtis

For questions or if you did not receive your WSNA buttons, contact WSNA Nurse Repre­sen­ta­tive Sydne James, sjames@wsna.org.