Spokane Regional Health District

Thanks to everyone that came and voted on the 2020 Wage Reopener. Effective January 1, 2020, all WSNA bargaining unit members will receive a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 1.6%. The COLA adjustment will be made to each step of the wage scale.

Kaiser Value medical premiums for employee only will continue to be paid by the District. The District shall maintain its 2019 contribution percentage for all employees who opt to cover spouses, children and/or families.

Thanks to Alicia Kreutzer and Deborah Taylor who helped WSNA staff negotiate this increase for you!

For any questions, please contact Hanna Welander, WSNA Interim Nurse Rep, at (206) 575-7979, ext. 3035 or hwelander@wsna.org.

Congratulations on a job well done. Our negotiating team worked hard for this victory. Please thank them when you see them!

Our negotiating team:

Melissa Charbonneau ~ Deb Taylor ~ Amy Cross

Please also welcome our new WSNA local unit officers! Our local unit officers serve as a WSNA local liaison to work through issues in our facility alongside our WSNA nurse representative. We thank them for stepping up!

Alicia Kreutzer - Chair

Deborah Taylor - Vice Chair

Jan Yoder - Secretary

Melissa Charbonneau - Treasurer

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Jaclyn Perkins, BSN, RN, at 1-800-231-8482, ext. 3118 or jperkins@wsna.org.

On May 13, 2019, the nurses of the WSNA bargaining unit voted a unanimous “YES” to ratify your contract! Congratulations!

Next steps: The full TA (Tentative Agreement) will be taken to the Board of Health for approval. If approved, the Health District will begin processing pay increases and retro pay. Look for your increases on a paycheck in June!

On behalf of WSNA, I want to sincerely thank the negotiating team for their dedicated hard work.

Melissa Charbonneau, RN
Deb Taylor, RN
Amy Cross, RN

In addition, a special thank you to the remainder of the bargaining unit for coming to the local unit meetings and showing their solidarity through actions requested by WSNA. I feel this made a positive difference and was a major step to securing a fair contract. Nice teamwork everyone!

In solidarity!

Jaclyn Perkins BSN, RN, WSNA Nurse Rep.
jperkins@wsna.org

The Vote Summary has been posted to the Contracts and Documents section of this page as well as being sent out by email.

Your hard-working negotiating team of nurses crossed the finish line, and we have now reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) with Management. Gains in wages were made to all classifications and implementation of the Compensation Study was fought off. Retro pay for wages and benefits were TA’d, plus much more. A summary of the Tentative Agreements will be posted on your WSNA local unit web page soon

On May 13, 2019, in room 240B from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. we will be holding a ratification vote! Come, see the new changes and cast your vote! (Must be a WSNA member in good standing to vote on the contract)

WSNA is recommending a YES vote!

Questions? Contact a negotiating team member or WSNA Nurse Rep. Jaclyn Perkins, BSN, RN at jperkins@wsna.org.

On March 14, your dedicated team of nurses met with management for the seventh session of bargaining. We are pleased to report we made great progress this day. Management has reworked their proposal around the compensation study and its implementation. Now, wage increases to the current wage scale are being discussed. We feel the Signs of Solidarity we created together in December made an important difference at the table this session!

Our next day to bargain is April 23.

In unity!

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Rep Jaclyn Perkins, BSN, RN, at jperkins@wsna.org.

Our contract is under attack. We had our sixth bargaining session on Dec. 12. We were shocked to receive a proposal at such a late stage in bargaining from management to reduce the wage scales for most new hires and to effectively remove the ability of many currently employed nurses to receive step increases (valued at 4.5%) in 2019 and possibly beyond.

Previously, management said the Health District was in a good financial position and that they were having a hard time recruiting employees. Now, they want to lower the wage scale because of a last-minute study they paid to have done. With these new lower wage scales, SRHD will have a much harder time recruiting and retaining nurses.

We do not know what math management is using, but to us: a good financial position plus recruitment and retention issues DO NOT equal lower wages!

It’s time to unite!

Jaclyn Perkins, BSN, RN
WSNA Nurse Representative
jperkins@wsna.org

Tuesday, Oct. 23, we, your negotiating team, met with management for day five of bargaining. We had some additional TAs (tentative agreements) this day, but still have work to do on wages and benefits. We believe we continue to make progress each time we meet.

Our next bargaining session is Nov. 14. We will continue to do our best to keep you up to date and informed.

Questions? Contact a WSNA negotiating team member: Amy Cross, RN, Melissa Charbonneau, RN and/or Deb Taylor, RN.

In solidarity,

Jaclyn Perkins, BSN, RN
WSNA Nurse Representative
1(800)231-8482, ext. 3118
jperkins@wsna.org

Many discussions were had around policies, safety with transportation of methadone to the jail, and many more. Some additional TAs (Tentative Agreements) were reached this day. We believe the progress was very positive.

Our next day to bargain is Oct. 23. We will continue to keep you up to date as the joint discussions continue.

Questions? Contact a negotiating team member: Amy Cross, Melissa Charbonneau, Deb Taylor or WSNA Nurse Representative Jaclyn Perkins BSN, RN at jperkins@wsna.org.

Some small Tentative Agreements (TAs) have been reached. Great discussions occurred this day around new hire orientation, and safety in transporting methadone to the jail. We expect to see and discuss wages and benefits during our next negotiation session. Stay tuned for updates.

Our next day to bargain is Oct. 3, 2018.

Your negotiating team: Debora Taylor, Amy Cross, Melissa Charbonneau

In this issue:

1. Officer of the Quarter
2. Spokane Leadership Summit
3. Did you know by being a WSNA represented nurse in Spokane you are a member of the Spokane Alliance?
4. Negotiation updates
5. We are on Facebook! Upcoming events

“My name is Stevie Lynne Krone. I am a Registered Nurse at Sacred Heart Medical Center and the current WSNA Co-Chair representing the nurses in the SHMC/WSNA bargaining unit. I have been a member of WSNA for over five years and have been an energetic participant in my local unit activities including pickets, walks and petitions. I am now serving my first term in office as we head into contract negotiations for 2018, utilizing both voice and action from my experience working alongside a powerful and strong brigade of nurses. I have practiced on nearly all the units of my hospital as a Float Pool nurse and now I can dedicate more time in supporting my occupational brothers and sisters as a supplemental on the Cardiac Medical Unit.

I have also utilized my skills as a music artist to benefit and promote a sense of unity, especially with the release of my song “We Are the People.”

It is my passion to serve my community with wholesome medical care as well as focus my allegiance to protect and promote the safety of the nurses that serve beside me.”

If you are a local unit rep or a local unit officer, please contact jperkins@wsna.org to be featured in the next regional newsletter. We are constantly looking for leaders to feature!

Thanks to those of you who attended the Spokane Leadership Summit on April 14, 2018, at the Red Lion. Not only was it a great opportunity to network with fellow nurses in your area, all nurses walked away with 6 CNEs. Nurses from Sacred Heart, Holy Family, Spokane Veterans Home, Spokane Regional Health District and St. Luke’s Rehab were all there. Topics that were covered: Janus vs AFSME, workplace violence and the new Staffing Law.

Thank you for your participation!

In case you missed it, there are more Summits to come! Go to www.wsna.org/union/leadership to find out more. Registration incentives are being offered by the WSNA cabinet including a $50 reimbursement credit for one night’s stay. The next Summit is at Campbell’s Resort on Lake Chelan on Sept. 30-Oct. 1. Registration is open now

Spokane Alliance is a group of nonpartisan, proactive, everyday citizens dedicated to making Spokane a better place for all to live and thrive. You’ll find them working for change in churches and classrooms, in living rooms and union halls, in City Hall and in Olympia.

For more than 10 years, Spokane Alliance has worked to improve public transportation, increase job opportunities and green building requirements among other issues. They are a non-profit supported by the dues of our member organizations, individuals and foundations. The Alliance is affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation, a coalition of like-minded organizations in cities across the United States, the UK, Germany, Canada and Australia.

At Spokane Alliance, they believe that by working together we have the power to change our communities for the better. And they do more than just sign petitions and protest; together, they take action. If you’re interested in helping with the Spokane Alliance as a WSNA nurse, please contact jperkins@wsna.org. WSNA is actively partnering to create opportunities to help improve the community through access to medical care for patients. Visit iafnw.org/spokanealliance to find out more about what is currently being worked on. We can direct you on how you can help!

Lots of work is being done by your WSNA staff and officers in the region. Get the bigger scoop:

• St. Luke’s Rehab – 7 sessions complete. Lots of issues still on the table and we are disappointed at the amount of progress. There are still a lot of items to work through including wages, benefits, staffing, rest breaks and layoff language. Next day to bargain is Sept. 7. The negotiating team of nurses is: Fran Castillo (CVA), Linda Spurgeon (CVA) and Jonelle Polley (Infection Control RN).
• Spokane Regional Health District – currently gathering a team of nurses and prepping the contract. Surveys are complete. First day of negotiations is Sept. 6. Negotiating team of nurses is: Jan Yoder, RN, Melissa Charbonneau, RN, Amy Cross, RN and Deborah Taylor, RN.
• Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center – preparations and bargaining will begin fall of 2018. The negotiating team members are: Stevie Lynn Krone (9N), KT Raley-Jones (CICU), Clint Wallace (ICU), LaDonna Reel (MB), Nonie Kingma (AGPU), Debbie Cameron (5S), Linda Clanton (IV Therapy), David Emerson (7N), Darryl Johnson (Cath Lab), Lee Ayres (PACU), Abigail Berry (OR), Vicki Benson (Radiology) and Inga Matheson (CICU).
• Providence Holy Family Hospital – recent grievance settlement for vacation/sick accrual for FT 12-hour nurses.
• Pullman Regional Health District – organizing local unit reps for each unit.
• Providence Visiting Nurses Association – a Tentative Agreement has been reached. Vote is upcoming.

Some of the WSNA local units in Spokane have Facebook pages which are kept up to date on happenings in labor, or within the local unit. Please take the time to “like” them and check them out! This is a great way to show solidarity for your labor brothers and sisters within your region.

WSNA Coug Football Night – save the date!

The Washington State University Cougars take on the Eastern Washington University Eagles on Sept. 15! WSNA nurses will receive a discounted rate on tickets, don’t miss out.

2019 Washington State Nurses Convention

Come join us on May 1-3, 2019 for Washington’s only statewide convention dedicated to nurses and the issues we face. We are focused on transforming health care through the power of nursing.