Chair
Susan Babcock
Officers
Vice Chair
Sue Starr, PHN
WSNA staff contact
WSNA staff contact
Grace Chesterman
Nurse Representative
Contract
Latest update
We have reached a Tentative Agreement!
Posted Jul 17, 2024
We are in the home stretch to finish negotiating our new contract! Through 13 long sessions with administration over the course of eight months, your tireless contract negotiation team has pushed through reviewing and updating the entire contract front-to-back, merging the brief 2023 interim contact with the mature contract from 2021-2022, along with adjusting it to align with the County's existing administrative structure and codes.
Once the new contract has been assembled, reviewed and properly formatted, you will receive a summary of the changes that will go into effect, including the new pay scale with retro pay to January 1st of this year. We will notify everyone of a ratification vote date which will take place in-person at the Health Department building. Your team is recommending a "yes" vote. If the contract is ratified, it will then need to be submitted to the County Council for final approval.
Here are some highlights:
A 4.51% pay increase across the board to all members retroactive to January 1st, 2024.
Pay increases in 2025 and 2026 of up to 5% each year based on the inflation rate as determined by the Federal government.
Increase in pay for nurses taking call
Adding a new top step to the PHN and Lead pay scales (203 and 206) to enhance retention of experienced nurses in the Department.
Deleting the current step one on the PHN and Lead pay scales so new nurses will start at a higher wage to help with recruitment.
Maintaining the presence of Non-Discrimination language that the County proposed removing during negotiations.
Your bargaining team,
Susan Babcock and Sue Starr
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your bargaining team or your WSNA nurse rep, Grace Chesterman (gchesterman@wsna.org).
Previous updates
Contract Negotiation Update
Jun 12, 2024
Bargaining Update: Session 11 coming up on May 6
May 01, 2024
Bargaining Update: Session 9
Apr 12, 2024
Negotiations Update: Session 7
Mar 04, 2024
Bargaining Update: Sessions 3 and 4
Jan 24, 2024
December Bargaining Sessions
Dec 21, 2023
WSNA union news
Resources and tools
Document unsafe conditions
If you find yourself in a situation that you believe creates unsafe conditions for patients or for you, you should complete a Staffing Complaint / ADO Form as soon as possible.
By completing the form, you will help make the problem known to management, creating an opportunity for the problem to be addressed. Additionally, you will be documenting the facts, which may be helpful to you later if there is a negative outcome.
WSNA also uses your ADO forms to track the problems occurring in your facility. When you and your coworkers take the important step of filling out an ADO form, you are helping to identify whether there is a pattern of unsafe conditions for you or your patients at your facilities. This information is used by your conference committee, staffing committee, and WSNA labor staff to improve your working conditions.
Representation rights
As a union member, you have the right to have a representative present in any meetings with management that could potentially lead to disciplinary action against you.
If called into a meeting with management, read the following to management when the meeting begins:
If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, I respectfully request that my union representative be present at this meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to participate in this discussion.
Find out more about this crucial right and how to exercise it to ensure your fair treatment and protection.
Continuing education offerings
Enhance your professional competency with WSNA's free online courses.
Earn CNE contact hours through topics like Cultural Humility, Telehealth Assessment, Workplace Violence Prevention, and more. Convenient and self-paced, our courses provide practical knowledge for your daily work. Expand your skills and stay up-to-date with the latest nursing practices.