Yesterday, December 10, 2025, our bargaining team met with management for day five of contract negotiations. We went in ready to work late and push for the fair contract NICU nurses deserve. With only one full day of bargaining left before our contract expires on December 31, the clock is running. Unfortunately, management requested that we end early due to flooding issues happening around the state. We understand that safety comes first, and we hope that everyone affected is safe, but the early stop also means we lost valuable time to close the distance between us.

Even with the shortened session we delivered two full sets of proposals and received one from management.

Both sides agree that wages need to recruit and retain nurses. The issue is that management appears more focused on helping St. Joe’s build its NICU workforce than on keeping nurses right here at Mary Bridge. We keep fighting for a contract that strengthens our own hospital while management keeps proposing wages that would make more sense across town.

Keep reading to learn what happened at the table, what comes next, and how you can help us win the contract our unit needs.

CANM Union Cards

Your response has been incredible. In only five days, including one weekend, more than 110 nurses signed CANM cards. That represents well over half of the bargaining unit. This is a powerful message to management that we are united and serious about protecting the charge nurse role.

Our message is clear. Charge nurses must be Union Nurses every shift, every time.

We delivered the cards directly to management at the table, and we will keep collecting them throughout negotiations. If you have not signed one yet, reach out to any bargaining team member.

Non-Economic Proposals

We reached tentative agreements on several important issues:

•  A designated space for the Union to meet with newly hired nurses during orientation.
• Guaranteed minimum pay of two hours when a required meeting is held in person.
• A commitment from the employer to maintain free parking for nurses.
• Expanded bereavement leave that includes stillbirth and miscarriage.

These are meaningful wins, but we still have major non-economic issues where we are far apart. These include restoring the nurse to patient ratios we had when we were part of the TG bargaining unit, and establishing real protections in the Hospital Staffing Committee so that NICU nurses have final say on staffing plans for our unit.

Other issues we continue to push include:

• Preserving Per Diem nurses’ right to cancel shifts with 48 hour notice.
• Requiring that the Charge Nurse is always a Union Nurse.
• Ensuring proper lactation spaces for nurses who are pumping.
• Creating a Racial Justice Committee that produces meaningful results where previous efforts have fallen short.

We have also seen real movement on internationally experienced RN and LPN experience equity reviews, and we are optimistic that we can bring good news on this soon.

Economic Proposals

From the beginning, we have been clear. The only true comparator for Mary Bridge NICU is St. Joe’s. Our wage and premium proposal places NICU nurses just ahead of SJMC, which keeps us competitive throughout the full contract. Management’s proposal keeps us behind Joe’s every year, and once SJMC negotiates again in two years, the gap will only grow. That will continue to push nurses away from Mary Bridge.

Management’s Proposal

• 6 percent in year one
• 3 percent in year two
• 2.75 percent in year three
• An additional 25 cents for charge nurses, bringing the charge premium to 3.50 per hour

WSNA’s Proposal

• 6 percent and 2.25 dollars for each step in year one
• 5 percent in year two
• 4 percent in year three
• 6 dollars per hour for night shift plus 2 dollars more per hour for nurses with five or more years of RN experience
• Increased preceptor pay

We did reach a tentative agreement on the charge nurse premium.

Our economic proposal reflects our values and our priorities. We need wages that retain experienced NICU nurses. We need differentials that stabilize nights. We need pay that keeps up with the cost of living. We need recognition for the complex, life-saving work happening in this unit every day.

What’s Next

We have a brief virtual bargaining session on 12/15 to receive management’s counter proposal to our last proposal from yesterday, and then we bargain our last full day before contract expiration on 12/18 at MultiCare University. We would love to have NICU nurses come to observe negotiations in person. If you are interested in observing, please email Sam Scholl at SScholl@WSNA.org

After the wildly successful food drive and CANM card actions we are going to be working towards our next action. We are hopeful for a fair contract before expiration, but we are also planning ahead. We will begin to roll out education on what an informational picket is and asking nurses to sign a picket pledge. We will be sending out additional information in a separate email.

Mary Bridge NICU nurses deserve a contract that strengthens our hospital, protects our practice, and keeps our patients safe. We have shown management that we are united, organized, and unwilling to settle for less than what our unit needs. Keep showing up. Keep speaking out. Together we will win the contract that reflects the skill, dedication, and strength of every nurse in this NICU.

In solidarity,
Your bargaining team
Crystal Anderson
Randi Neff
Michele Christianson
Rosie Robertson
Erin Pearson
Cameron Warriner

Questions? Contact WSNA Nurse Representative Jared Richardson, jrichardson@wsna.org.