SEIU 1199NW plans Jan. 28-30 strike at Swedish-Providence

UPDATE (Jan. 17, 2020 at 12:30 p.m.) — The Washington State Nurses Association and UFCW 21 today released a statement of solidarity with the SEIU Healthcare 1199NW members at Swedish-Providence. The unions said they “fully support Swedish workers represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW as they serve 10-day notice to the hospital of their intention to strike for patient care and safety at multiple campuses… WSNA and UFCW 21 remain committed to the coalition that helped us reach agreements (with Providence) that advance improvements for patient care and safety and supports SEIU 1199NW in their continued fight. When you take on one of us, you take on all of us.” Read the whole statement here.

The following is from SEIU Healthcare 1199NW:

SEATTLE (Jan. 17, 2020) — In a roundtable briefing at noon today in Seattle, nurses and caregivers of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW at Swedish-Providence will announce delivery of a 10-day notice of intent to strike and share their experiences of patient safety issues at Swedish.

After careful consideration of every proposal exchanged between Swedish-Providence management and nurses and healthcare workers, the bargaining team of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW has concluded that the parties are too far apart. Workers intend to strike Jan. 28-30 if proposals adequately addressing patient safety and staffing levels are not forthcoming.

Since bargaining began in April, nurses and caregivers have presented management with a robust package of proposals that lay out a roadmap for success in safe staffing, workplace safety, recruitment and retention, racial equity and inclusion for all, and providing for the needs of environmental service workers, social workers, counselors and caregivers who provide standby and call.

Caregivers believe they have provided management every opportunity to do what’s right, but that management continues to prioritize profits over patient care. In order to hold Providence accountable for its continued Unfair Labor Practices such as the unlawful termination of team members for protected union activity, nurses and healthcare workers are firmly united together to sound the alarm about unsafe practices at Swedish-Providence.

Healthcare workers from SEIU Healthcare 1199NW are unified in their intent to strike at Swedish-Providence beginning Tuesday, Jan. 28. Caregivers are taking on a multi-state system with a corporate-wide strategy to cut benefits for health care workers. Providence is a $24 billion corporation that sits on an $11 billion cash reserve. The corporation can afford to provide good benefits and wages to the nurses and healthcare workers it employs and should start treating its employees fairly. When employees of Providence are treated fairly, patient care and safety will improve.

TAKE A STAND! — Support nurses and healthcare Swedish-Providence by signing this petition and posting it on social media! Swedish-Providence caregivers represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW ask for your support and attendance on the picket lines. Stay tuned for more details in the coming days.

The 8,000 SEIU Healthcare 1199NW members at Swedish-Providence, including nurses, techs, dietary and environmental services, and social workers and counselors, voted Nov. 15 to authorize a strike, with a supermajority of members on every Swedish campus voting in favor of the strike.