Tomorrow, 12/4, we move into our fifth negotiation session with management to secure a fair contract for every Tacoma General nurse. We have told management over and over that the practice of Clinical Assistant Nurse Managers taking charge nurse assignments is unacceptable. Every time a CANM is placed in the charge role, MultiCare is taking money out of union families’ pockets and moving it straight into management’s budget.

Each CANM used as a charge nurse removes the equivalent of a 0.6 FTE from Union Nurses. That is not a small thing. It is a direct cut to union jobs. It is a direct hit to our staffing stability. And it is a direct attack on our ability to grow and strengthen our workforce.

This is about more than economics. When CANMs take charge roles, experienced and skilled RNs are pushed out of critical leadership positions. Our nurses lose opportunities to lead, to develop, and to advance their practice. These losses weaken our units and undermine the professional strength that keeps patients safe and our hospital functioning.

We have presented multiple proposals that would ensure the charge role stays where it belongs, in the bargaining unit. We are holding firm. Today we are launching our Charge Nurses Are Union Nurses campaign.

We are asking every WSNA member to sign a blue card in support of this demand. Starting tomorrow, these cards will be available throughout the hospital. You can turn them in at designated locations or send a photo to TGaction@WSNA.org. This is our chance to show management that we are united, we are organized, and we expect the charge role to return to union nurses.

Cafeteria Time 12/5, 1100 to 1500

On Friday, 12/5, WSNA staff and bargaining team members will be in the cafeteria from 1100 to 1500. Stop by if you have questions about the contract or negotiations, want to sign or turn in your blue card, or just want to connect.

Observe Negotiations in Person

Negotiations can be difficult to understand without seeing them firsthand. We invite any WSNA member to observe negotiations on 12/4 starting at 1000 at the Auburn Corporate Center, 1002 15th St SW in Auburn. If you are interested in attending, please email Nurse Rep Jared Richardson at JRichardson@WSNA.org.

Together we are stronger than any proposal management puts in front of us. When we move as one, we set the standard for respect, for safety, and for the future of nursing at Tacoma General. Let’s show them exactly what solidarity looks like.

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).