Acknowledging Your Extra Effort on Voluntary Weekend Shifts
Posted Feb 4, 2026
Article 7.8 of the contract reads:
“The Employer will make all reasonable efforts to schedule nurses so that they have at least every other weekend off … In the event a nurse is required to work either Saturday or Sunday on two (2) consecutive weekends, all time worked on the second weekend shall be paid at one and one-half (1 ½) times the nurse's regular hourly rate … unless the nurse voluntarily agrees to work on the weekend … The next regularly scheduled weekend shall be paid at the nurse's regular rate of pay.”
We understand that many of you go above and beyond by voluntarily picking up extra weekend shifts, even when you are already scheduled to work every other weekend. We know it can be frustrating that the current contract language only provides incentive pay for required consecutive weekend work, not for voluntary shifts.
We share your frustration with this gap in the contract language and want you to know that we are committed to advocating for a change in future negotiations so that voluntary consecutive weekend work is more fairly compensated. For example, if a nurse is scheduled to work every other weekend but chooses to help the team by picking up a shift on the in-between weekend, that extra effort should be recognized with appropriate incentive pay, something the current contract does not provide.
Your dedication, teamwork, and willingness to help cover shifts do not go unnoticed. We value your contributions and will continue fighting to ensure that all weekend work, including voluntary coverage, is treated fairly.
In solidarity,
Ryan Silva
rsilva@wsna.org