Nurses ratify contract at PeaceHealth SW

‘WSNA will spend the next two years working to hold [PeaceHealth SW] accountable.’

VANCOUVER, WA (June 10, 2024) — PeaceHealth Southwest nurses voted yes to ratify their two year contract late Thursday, after 10 hours of voting. The vote drew unprecedented turnout among the 1,465 nurses represented by the Washington State Nurses Association.

“This contract included big wins for nurses, including a stronger voice in staffing plans, protection against workplace violence, and significant wage increases,” said WSNA’s Director of Labor Jayson Dick.

Nurses at PeaceHealth Southwest negotiated for over four months before finally securing a tentative agreement the membership could agree to. The contract 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. Their previous contract expired on Feb. 28, 2024.

Throughout their negotiations, nurses stood firm in solidarity with one another in the face of stonewalling from the medical center. 

On April 18, more than 1,000 people participated in an informational picket outside the hospital to raise awareness about the nurses’ contract fight and ramp up pressure on PeaceHealth to settle a fair contract with the nurses.

In late April, the union filed an unfair labor practice charge against PeaceHealth for failing to bargain in good faith. Specifically, the charge asserted that PeaceHealth Southwest violated Sections 8(a)(1) and 8(a)(5) of the National Labor Relations Act by disparaging the union and its members in communication, threatening employees who wear union T-shirts and insignia, and engaging in bad faith bargaining over several issues.

While nurses secured a strong contract, the fight for fair treatment and respect at PeaceHealth SW is ongoing.

“There’s still work to be done,” said Jayson Dick. “PeaceHealth’s conduct throughout negotiations damaged nurses’ trust in their managers. The medical center refused to budge on core issues like pay for home health and hospice nurses and minimum staffing ratios, and WSNA will spend the next two years working to hold them accountable before we meet again at the bargaining table in 2026.”

High levels of burnout and resulting low-staffing are serious issues facing nurses and healthcare workers across Washington State, and the US, making the protection of a union contract all the more essential. 

For more information about the Washington Nurses Association, visit wsna.org. 

Previously at The STAND: WSNA wins strong tentative agreement at PeaceHealth SW