This Thursday, June 18th, WSNA will be distrib­uting surgical masks donated by our national union, the American Feder­a­tion of Teachers (AFT), across the street from the facility on the corner of 17th and J.

In May, Gov. Inslee issued a procla­ma­tion providing guidance on how and when facil­i­ties can safely resume certain surgeries and proce­dures. WSNA worked closely with the governor to shape this guidance, bringing forward your concerns about PPE and safe working condi­tions. WSNA Execu­tive Director Sally Watkins served on the Governor’s task force and ensured that strong language about PPE was included.

WSNA will be monitoring employer compli­ance closely and holding employers account­able if they do not adhere to the new proclamation/​directive. We will need to remain vigilant — report to your Nurse repre­sen­ta­tive Barbara Friesen at bfriesen@wsna.org if you feel SJMC is not following guidance. WSNA has issued a state­ment calling for monitoring of current PPE and a return to conven­tional guide­lines so that our members and patients are safe. No Nurse should have to reuse soiled or broken masks.

WSNA has offered submis­sion of samples of the masks we will distribute on Thursday to SJMC, to verify whether these masks meet the Employ­er’s standards for employee use in the workplace. These thousands of masks WSNA has secured through AFT can also be used by you and your family out in the commu­nity.

Please spread the word to your coworkers, including non-RN employees. We know PCTs, mainte­nance, service and other staff have also been forced to reuse masks for too long.

We will be distrib­uting masks at the corner of 17th and J from 7 a.m. — 5 p.m. or while supplies last on Thursday June 18. Please observe social distancing and wear a mask per public health guidelines.

Please spread the word to your co-workers and stay strong though these challenging times.

Sincerely your WSNA officers,
Dian Davis Co-Chair
Allie Jones Co-Chair
Sally Budack Secre­tary
Janet Stewart Treasurer and Griev­ance Officer
Linda Burbank Griev­ance Officer
Matthew McGuire Griev­ance Officer
Melissa Garcia Member­ship Coordi­nator

Questions? Contact our WSNA organizer Tara Barnes 206 – 713-2241 or tbarnes@wsna.org