Sign WSNA petitions supporting nurses in Tacoma, Bellingham

St. Joseph Medical Center nurses rallied outside the hospital in Bellingham on March 26.

(Mar. 27, 2013) — Nurses at PeaceHealth St. Joseph in Bellingham and at Tacoma General Hospital are both struggling with hospital management to get fair, reasonable contracts. Their union, the Washington State Nurses Association, is trying to resolve issues at the bargaining table but after several months of unsuccessful bargaining at both hospitals, these nurses need some support from the community.

TAKE A STAND!  Please sign two petitions urging hospital management to treat their nurses fairly. Follow these links to sign the petitions to management at Tacoma General Hospital and PeaceHealth St. Joseph in Bellingham.

St. Joseph nurses and their community supporters conducted an informational picket Tuesday to highlight issues critical to patient safety and nurse retention at the hospital. More than 700 nurses there are still without a new contract after five months of bargaining.

WSNA reports:

During difficult contract negotiations, the administration is resisting nurse input on patient care and staffing at the bedside. They have also proposed sweeping changes to sick time that would discourage nurses from staying home when they are sick. Nurses are speaking out about the potential impact to patient safety and calling on the public to support their efforts in negotiations.

Nurses are concerned that proposed drastic cuts to benefits will impact the hospital’s ability to recruit and retain great nurses. These changes will also have a profound effect on many nurses and their ability to provide health care to themselves and their families.

At Tacoma General, nurses have a fifth session with a federal mediator scheduled for Thursday, March 28 as they seek a contract covering some 650 nurses.

“We’re certainly hopeful that we will reach new agreement that will treat us fairly and preserve patient care levels and safety,” WSNA spokesman Anne Tan Piazza told the (Tacoma) News Tribune. “It’s our objective to work things out at the bargaining table,” she said.

For more information about the WSNA or these contract negotiations, visit www.wsna.org.