Somehow, September is already right around the corner. While we are sad to see summer coming to an end, we are looking forward to spending time with our fellow union nurses at several upcoming events.

Keep reading for information about our September union events, grievance updates, and how you can participate in the upcoming Hospital Staffing Committee meeting.

In-Person Union Meet-Up

Tuesday, September 1 at 1800-2000

Join us for our monthly in-person union meet-up at:

Trackside Beer Garden
298 W. Laurel St.
Bellingham, WA 98225

We will be joined by special guest WSNA President Justin Gill. Justin attended nursing school in Bellingham and began his nursing career with PeaceHealth. We are excited to welcome him back to Bellingham and hope you will stop by to meet him, connect with fellow union nurses, and say hello.

Cafeteria Time

Tuesday, September 1 from 1115 to 1315

WSNA officers and Nurse Representative Jared will be in the cafeteria to answer questions about the contract and hear about issues or concerns on your unit.

Nurses who stop by and sign the roster will also be entered into a drawing for a $25 Fred Meyer gift card.

Hospital Staffing Committee

Wednesday, September 2 at 0800

The monthly Hospital Staffing Committee meeting will be held via Teams. This month, the committee will review ADOs from several units, including the Emergency Department, PACU, and Care Management. The committee will also begin preparing to review the annual staffing plans due in January.

If your ADO is scheduled for review, you have the right to attend the meeting and speak about your concerns on paid time. If you are working during the meeting, your manager must arrange coverage so you can participate.

Use the link below to join the meeting.

JOIN THE HOSPITAL STAFFING COMMITTEE MEETING

Grievance Updates

Several grievances remain pending while we await responses from PeaceHealth. The employer requested additional time to complete its responses, and WSNA agreed to a limited extension because several of these grievances require extensive back-pay calculations.

We will share updates as soon as we receive the employer’s responses.

Hospice Excess-of-Shift Overtime Settlement

WSNA reached a settlement regarding the excess-of-shift overtime grievance filed on behalf of Hospice nurses. In our contract, Hospice nurses do not earn excess-of-shift overtime, but the employer had been inadvertently paying some Hospice nurses excess-of-shift overtime. The employer unilaterally stopped this without notice to the Union.

While Hospice nurses do not earn excess-of-shift overtime per the contract, the employer acknowledged it stopped paying it without proper notice. Under the settlement, PeaceHealth also agreed to provide back pay to affected nurses for the period between the employer’s unilateral change and the resolution of the grievance. Moving forward excess-of-shift overtime will not be available to Hospice nurses.

Hospice nurses who earned excess-of-shift overtime during that period will receive an additional payment on their August 28 paycheck.

These results come from nurses documenting contract violations, raising concerns, and standing together to hold PeaceHealth accountable. Our union is strongest when we remain informed, involved, and united.

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

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Jared Richardson, jrichardson@wsna.org.