Nicole L. Miller
Officers
Kai Rapaport
Lela C. Riherd
Julie A. McElroy
WSNA staff contact
WSNA staff contact

Contract
Featured file
Voting Reminder
Posted Nov 24, 2025
Reminder! Watch your personal email beginning at 8am on November 25. Whatcom nurses who are WSNA members will begin receiving their unique voting key by personal email.
Thank you to the nurses who confirmed or corrected their information! Guided by your survey responses and ongoing engagement with bargaining team members, upon ratification, the transition to the Teamster’s Health Benefits will occur. Nurses will receive open enrollment information from the employer in early December. Please read all communications from the employer regarding open enrollment.
What about the rest of the contract changes?
Please review the TA Summary that we shared with all local unit nurses last week. It is also available in the Election Buddy portal that nurses will use to log in, review the TA information and cast their ballot.
As described in our TA Announcement, this year will be the first time WSNA members at Whatcom will vote on the contract electronically using Election Buddy. It is a secure, encrypted system endorsed by the US department of labor. WSNA has conducted many electronic votes successfully. Members have provided positive feedback with this voting experience.
For those who wish to do so, there is also a contract copy of the before and after changes (sometimes called a red line contract). If there are any technical challenges whatsoever or you want to send questions about the TA, you can contact the Nurse Representative Tara Barnes tbarnes@wsna.org directly.
Voting window opens
Tuesday November 25 at 8 am
Do you have questions you want to address live?
Join us at the virtual information session. The new time is:
Tuesday Nov 25 to answer questions voters may have, including technical difficulties.
10 am to noon on Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 267 810 220 452 52
Passcode: Sn973r9q
Or Dial in by phone
+1 206-485-2614,,177036646# United States, Seattle
(888) 313-0615,,177036646# United States (Toll-free)
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 177 036 646#
Voting window closes
Wednesday November 26 at noon. No ballots will be eligible outside the voting window period. We will send a communication to the nurses with the results.
Here is the link to the TA summary
Your WSNA team recommends a yes vote!
In unity,
Nicole Miller WSNA co-chair
Kai Rapaport WSNA co-chair
Lela Riherd WSNA treasurer
Julie McElroy WSNA grievance officer
Tara Barnes Nurse Representative tbarnes@wsna.org
Previous updates
Negotiations Update: We have a TA!
Nov 19, 2025
Negotiations Update: We have momentum!
Nov 18, 2025
Bargaining Session Update
Nov 07, 2025
Negotiations Day One Update and Next Steps!
Oct 17, 2025
Introducing WSNA Nurse Representative
Aug 18, 2025
Getting ready for contract negotiations starts today!
Aug 05, 2025
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Resources and tools
Document unsafe conditions
If you find yourself in a situation that you believe creates unsafe conditions for patients or for you, you should complete a Staffing Complaint / ADO Form as soon as possible.
By completing the form, you will help make the problem known to management, creating an opportunity for the problem to be addressed. Additionally, you will be documenting the facts, which may be helpful to you later if there is a negative outcome.
WSNA also uses your ADO forms to track the problems occurring in your facility. When you and your coworkers take the important step of filling out an ADO form, you are helping to identify whether there is a pattern of unsafe conditions for you or your patients at your facilities. This information is used by your conference committee, staffing committee, and WSNA labor staff to improve your working conditions.
Representation rights
As a union member, you have the right to have a representative present in any meetings with management that could potentially lead to disciplinary action against you.
If called into a meeting with management, read the following to management when the meeting begins:
If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, I respectfully request that my union representative be present at this meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to participate in this discussion.
Find out more about this crucial right and how to exercise it to ensure your fair treatment and protection.
Continuing education offerings
Enhance your professional competency with WSNA's free online courses.
Earn CNE contact hours through topics like Cultural Humility, Telehealth Assessment, Workplace Violence Prevention, and more. Convenient and self-paced, our courses provide practical knowledge for your daily work. Expand your skills and stay up-to-date with the latest nursing practices.


