Your bargaining team met with management for the first time on January 19, kicking-off negotiations at St. Michael Medical Center! While our contract isn’t scheduled to expire until May, getting an early start on negotiations will increase the chances of reaching an agreement before expiration. 

Our initial proposal, which primarily focused on non-economic items, included:   

• Improved language regarding Charge Nurses, 

• Broader application of preceptor pay,

• Modifications to CEDO, including fixes to low census standby,

• Stronger protections for Per Diem nurses,

• And much more!

Your Bargaining Team was also working to support House Bill 1868, which would implement new safe staffing standards across the state. A member of your team briefly stepped away from negotiations to testify in support of the proposed legislation, sharing with legislators the dangerous conditions that persist at St. Michael Medical Center. 

In addition to implementing safe staffing standards that protect you from dangerously high patient loads, the law would close loopholes to the existing overtime and rest break law and add additional enforcement mechanisms to ensure hospitals comply with the laws.

We are excited about the opportunities to improve our contract through negotiations; however, it is imperative that we simultaneously fight to improve the laws that will hold the hospital accountable for their failure to provide a safe working environment. You can help support HB 1868 by sending a letter of support to your legislator though this link: 

We are scheduled to meet with the employer again on February 3 with additional dates scheduled through March.

“As negotiations begin it is imperative that we support House Bill 1868, which would implement new safe staffing standards across the state.”

Your bargaining team: Anne Burns, Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson