On October 29, your bargaining team met with management for day two of negotiations. Management had more than two weeks to respond to our massive first-day proposal. While they offered a few small changes like updating the contract to gender-neutral language, they also brought forward some truly ghoulish counterproposals. But let’s be clear, nothing they put on the table will scare us away from winning a fair contract that respects nurses and the work we do.

We did score a real victory. Management agreed that “Break Buddies” will only be used as a last resort, not as the primary way to give breaks. That is a win for patient safety and for every nurse who deserves an uninterrupted rest period.

We also passed our first economic proposal. It includes wage increases that would put Tacoma General RNs at the top of the market, as well as higher premiums, increased education and certification pay, and better weekend pay. We are also approaching night shift differentials in a new way. Our proposal would pay $6 per hour for nurses with less than five years of experience and $8 per hour for nurses with five or more. This is designed to keep experienced nurses on night shift where their skills are most needed.

Our next bargaining session is Friday, November 7, at MultiCare University. We invite you to come and observe. See the process in action and watch your bargaining team hold the line for nurses across Tacoma General. If you would like to attend, contact Sam Scholl at SScholl@WSNA.org.

You can also hear more about negotiations at our next “Spill the Tea with TJ” on November 4 at 2000. We will share highlights from day two, discuss our next steps, and answer your questions. Click the button below to join the Teams meeting.

Day Two Highlights

• Management proposed eliminating guaranteed nurse-to-patient ratios in our contract. Tacoma General is the only hospital in Washington with ratios written into the contract, and we plan to keep it that way.
• Management rejected our proposal to have charge nurses remain union members. This is a critical issue and we are not backing down.
• Management declined our proposal to clarify the Resource Nurse role, which is especially important for peri-operative departments.
• Management rejected defining Trauma Nurses in the contract. Without this definition, trauma nurses can be pulled from patient assignments, forcing others to absorb unsafe workloads.
• Management proposed that floated nurses take full patient assignments equal to the unit they are floated to, such as an ICU nurse taking a full med-surg load. This is unsafe and unacceptable.
• Management agreed that military status, including military spouses, will be added to the equal opportunity article.
• Management declined our proposal to extend the job posting requirement from seven to fourteen days. Nurses deserve enough time to see openings and apply without favoritism.
• Management refused to expand severance pay to match other MultiCare contracts.
• Management countered our proposal to end partial low census days with language allowing up to two per shift. We reject any attempt to take your time before work without compensation.
• Management declined our proposal to ensure all 0.9 FTE nurses who work a scheduled day off receive 1.5x pay for all hours worked.
• Management declined to clarify the process for picking up extra shifts, keeping the ability to assign shifts to cheaper options.
• Management rejected our proposal to expand bereavement leave to include stillbirth, which is simply wrong.
• Management proposed raising the minimum hours for part-time status from 16 to 20 per week.
• Management declined to require that staffing plans affecting RNs receive a yes vote from a WSNA nurse. Other area hospitals already have this protection in place.
• Management refused to ensure that incentive pay is not considered pyramiding.

Every proposal tells a story, and this one is simple. We are united, we are strong, and we are not afraid. No matter what tricks management tries to play, we will keep pushing forward until we win the contract Tacoma General nurses deserve.

In Solidarity,
Therese Juntunen, NTICU
Michelle Stevenson, 5/6 MSICU/PCU
Sarah Huber, Emergency Department
Christina Nicholson, Resource RN
George Murray, NTICU
Marc Jebousek, Emergency Department
Anna Vermaire, Pulse Cardiac Short Stay
Anna Glorioso-Kaufmann, Operating Room
Jaime Cary, Labor and Delivery
Rachel Ballou-Church, Medical Oncology

Questions? Contact one of your officers, one of your bargaining team members, or Nurse Rep Jared Richardson (jrichardson@wsna.org).