More than 4200 RNs, Technical and Service workers at Swedish Medical Center are proud members of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.

Members Ratify Priorities:
Staffing, Pay, Healthcare, Job Security
Hundreds of SEIU members attended meetings, reviewed proposals and voted.
 
With bargaining over a new contract set to begin next month, more than 900 Techs, Nurses and Service Workers overwhelmingly voted in support of our proposals.

 Our success will depend on our unity and our willingness to stand up for these priorities!

Read the May 13, 2008 Bargaining Bulletin here

Visit our webpage on the 2008 bargain

By Cheri Puetz-co-chair of ASOT and SEIU 1199NW Executive Board Member

Our all day staffing workshop provided a foundation for better understanding the role and responsibility of ASOT members and unit-based committees. It generated lively discussion around "actually" staffing by acuity, as opposed to being restricted by budget constraints.

Traci Hoiting, VP of Nursing presented her vision and reinforced SMC¡¦s commitment to honoring the nurse¡¦s professional judgment in addition to utilizing the projected hours based on the patient¡¦s acuity classification to staff each unit.
The group gave input to generate a concise education plan to better direct the Unit-Based Staffing Committees. The goal is to:

• Have education completed and any revisions to the Patient Classification Guidelines done by March 1.
  
• Conduct a Compliance Review to further evaluate the accuracy of the tool and its use which is vital in order to generate accurate data so that the need is clear for budgets that meet the actual care needs of the patients.

Overall, the workshop was successful and identified important barriers to the implementation of Optilink.

Your input in this process is vital. Do you know who is on your Unit Based Staffing Committee? If you don't, or if you have any questions/concerns about this important work please contact a member of the ASOT Committee listed below.

ASOT Committee:

Staff Nurses Cheri Puetz, Pediatrics, Co-chair Mary McKibben, CH, Critical Care Julie Thompson, NICU Desirae Freeze, General Medical 9SW Cheryl Meyers, First Hill Float Pool Mike Sweeney, ARS Ballard Gloria Martin, Behavioral Health Kim Dement, Ortho

Management Bev Holland, Director of Women & Childre's Center, Management Co-chair June Alteras, ICUs Becky Means, L&D Shirley Raltz, Educator Donna Pearson, Gyn Lydia Chan, NRO & PT Classification Jan Flom, Director Judy Lewis, General Surgical