Today, your WSNA bargaining team and VMMC started bargaining your next contract.  Today's theme revolved around safety.  Workplace safety can look like many things; it isn’t just security. To that end, the bargaining team started discussions with management related to several safety topics:

Article 16 – Staffing

• We want our staffing language to chart a course rather than be course-correcting.
• We want to replace goals and intentions with staffing commitments.
• We're making a list of commitments we'd like to memorialize in the contract related to staffing issues for the coming contract term.
• We're inviting management to make their own list so we can discuss those at the next session, find common ground, and (we hope) agree on language that commits to shared principles for staffing.

Article 17 – Workplace Safety

• Workplace Violence: building on what works in the current contract, fixing what didn’t
  • Incorporating and updating pilot programs, etc.
  • Expanding access to programs that are working well like WPV Task Force
• Occupational Safety: improving access and transparency for our bargaining unit
  • Some specific tweaks would make existing workplace safety resources much more effective in our unit.
    • E.g.: Nurses can't see PSA report updates anymore, so we don't know if there's follow-up when we report safety problems.
    • E.g.: changes to bariatric lift resources have led to injuries.
• We need a way to raise specific concerns like this, but the current hospital-wide safety committee isn't accessible to most bargaining unit nurses.
• We're putting together proposals that make existing resources easier to access for our bargaining unit so we can address these issues before they grow.

 Break Relief

• What does break relief look like moving forward?
• Building on or reshaping the dedicated break relief nurse settlement
• Please take a moment to complete our very short, MINI break survey.

Our next bargaining date is July 8.  Next session, we will be continuing these conversations. If you are reading this, you know these topics are important and we would welcome you to be a part of the discussions.  Your participation helps us show management how important these concepts are. If you would like to be an observer please complete this form:   WSNA at Virginia Mason Medical Center: RSVP to Observe Bargaining – Fill out form 

WEEKLY SIP n CHATS RETURN!

PLEASE JOIN us for weekly sip n chat meetings where you will be able to discuss what is going on at the bargaining table with members from your negotiation team.  These meetings will start tomorrow, Wednesday, June 24 and run the duration of bargaining through the contract ratification vote. 

MEETING WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY - the link will remain the same from week to week.  Meetings will be:

Every Wednesday

6-6:30 pm 

8-8:30 pm

 Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/255140941463423?p=1IDloVzbvwKzVrrqAr
Meeting ID: 255 140 941 463 423
Passcode: HL6U4ep9
Dial in by phone
+1 206-485-2614,,499696793# United States, Seattle
(888) 313-0615,,499696793# United States (Toll-free)
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 499 696 793#

In solidarity,

Your bargaining team
Hannah Collins-Lewis - Progressive Care
Michael Salters - CCU (ICU)
Kim Travis-Carter – ED
Martha Bermeo – Telemetry
Alison Wortman - Jones 5 – Procedural
Heather Schramm - IV Therapy
Haley Sheridan - IV therapy 
Sara McNeil - CCU 

Need representation or have contract questions?
Contact Nurse Representative, Sara Frey at SFrey@wsna.org.

Become a member or update your information:
Membership application - WSNA

Keep up to date on WSNA at VM:
Virginia Mason Medical Center - WSNA

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https://www.instagram.com/wsna_vmmc