Grievance Win: Immediate Access to EIB When Required to Stay Home
WSNA has reached a grievance settlement protecting nurses’ immediate access to Extended Illness Benefit (EIB) when required to stay home under PeaceHealth’s illness policy.
During our last contract negotiations, we intentionally used the word “or” in Article 10.1 to ensure nurses could access EIB immediately when directed by Employee Health to stay home. This was an incorporation of the MOU that was bargained during the switch to Symplr into the body of the contract.
When PeaceHealth changed its Employee Health process and illness policy in May, we raised concerns that nurses would lose access to this negotiated benefit. Those concerns became reality when nurses who stayed home under the policy were denied immediate access to EIB. WSNA filed a grievance and, after extensive negotiations, secured a settlement enforcing that benefit.
PeaceHealth has agreed that nurses required to stay home under the Caregiver Work Restrictions Due to Illness Policy, issued May 1, 2026, are entitled to immediate access to EIB.
It is important to be familiar with the policy. If you are ill, make sure to check if your illness/symptoms require you to stay home, and if so be sure to invoke your contractual right of immediate EIB access.
The settlement also provides retroactive relief: WSNA nurses who should have received immediate access to EIB since May 1 will have the PTO used for that time restored, provided they had sufficient EIB available to cover it.
Thank you to the nurses who came forward and helped hold PeaceHealth accountable. Winning strong contract language matters, and enforcing it takes nurses willing to speak up and stand together.
If you have questions about the settlement or believe you were affected, contact WSNA Nurse Representative Jared Richardson at [email protected].
In solidarity,
Laura Bayes, Co-Chair
Amber Pouley, Co-Chair
Jenn Engelhart, Co-Secretary
Laura Sherwood, Co-Secretary
Tracy Pullar, Treasurer
Stacy Gaggia Libby, Grievance Officer
Celeste Montoy-Seimears, Membership Officer
Tracy Taylor, Membership Officer
Kristin Malmo, Communications Officer
Kelly Carroll, Communications Officer
Errin Hull, Co-Occupational Health and Safety Officer
Jessica Moran, Co-Occupational Health and Safety Officer