WSNA wins strong tentative agreement at PeaceHealth SW

The following is from the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA):

VANCOUVER, Wash. (May 30, 2024) — The Washington State Nurses Association has reached a tentative agreement with PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center on a new contract after more than four months of bargaining. The agreement was reached Tuesday night after 18 negotiating sessions.

WSNA represents about 1,465 nurses at PeaceHealth Southwest. The tentative agreement will be voted on by the membership on June 6.

The tentative agreement includes hourly wage increases of up to 18.4 percent over two years, including an average 10.3 percent bump for inpatient nurses after contract ratification. Wages across the bargaining unit will increase another 4 percent on the first full pay period after March 1, 2025. This includes the highest first-year and second-year wage increase ever included in the WSNA PeaceHealth Southwest contract and makes its nurses some of the highest paid in the state.

“These were long and tough negotiations, but thanks to the solidarity shown by the nurses at PeaceHealth Southwest, we emerged with a contract that is good for our members and good for patient care,” said Jeryl Anderson, a negotiating team member. “Our bargaining team and nurse observers sacrificed their days off for nearly five months to show management how much this mattered, and that teamwork helped us weather the storm.”

On April 18, the WSNA nurses at PeaceHealth held an informational picket that drew about 1,000 nurses and supporters.

“The informational picket was an amazing demonstration of how much Vancouver supports our nurses,” said Talitha Wilson, another negotiating team member. “It showed that the community recognizes our value, and we think that helped management recognize it too.”

Home health and hospice nurses will receive average increases of up to 6.5 percent after ratification and another 4 percent on March 1, 2025. Clinic nurses’ base hourly rate will increase by $3/hour upon ratification, and Nurse Practitioner pay will increase by 5 percent at that time, with both receiving the 4 percent bump in March 2025.

Nurses fought back attempts by management to eliminate Earned Illness Banks, which cover longer-term illnesses. They also successfully defended nurse practitioners from management’s attempts to carve them out of the contract entirely. Other gains include increased premiums for nurses working night shifts, placed on standby/on call, and those who are floated to a unit outside of their regular assignment.

Stronger charge nurse language includes incentives to place the most qualified nurses on charge, a new training program, a hiring process that gives nurses a voice in charge nurse selection, and a $4 per hour premium for charge nurses.

The tentative agreement also strengthens policies around safety and workplace violence and gives nurses additional time off if needed to recover from an incident of violence as well as an exemption from caring for a patient or family that has committed an act of violence against the nurse.

Numerous other provisions strengthen nurses’ voice and protections in the workplace. The bargaining team has recommended a “yes” vote.

The WSNA provides representation, education and resources that allow nurses to reach their full professional potential and focus on caring for patients. WSNA has represented nurses in Washington state since 1908, leveraging their collective voice to successfully advocate with employers, state agencies and the State Legislature for better working conditions, safe staffing, fair compensation and patient safety. Learn more at wsna.org.

READY FOR A VOICE AT WORK? Get more information about how you can join together with co-workers and negotiate for better wages and working conditions. Or go ahead and contact a union organizer today!