Healthcare workers hit the street for a fair contract

Fighting for staffing improvements and wage parity with other King County hospitals, healthcare workers picketed for a contract that improves patient care

BURIEN, WA (April 29, 2026) — Healthcare workers at St. Anne Hospital took to the streets for an informational picket on Tuesday, calling on hospital administration and parent company CommonSpirit to agree to a strong contract. United in SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, more than 475 nurses and service healthcare workers at St. Anne are fighting for improvements to wages, staffing, and working conditions.

Negotiations have been ongoing for 10 months, with workers and management still far apart on key issues that impact patient care. The union reports that low wages have led to an alarmingly high turnover rate at the hospital; healthcare workers are pushing for wages that keep up with the cost of living and bring their pay in line with wages at other King County hospitals.

“We face the same housing costs, grocery prices, and overall cost of living as other King County residents, yet CommonSpirit is leaving St. Anne workers behind. If wages stay below the market, we will keep losing staff and struggling to recruit,” said Amparo Raymundo, a cook working in Nutrition Services at the hospital.

Healthcare workers delivering their picket notice to management. Photo: SEIU Healthcare 1199NW

Another outstanding issue is staffing, particularly ensuring enough staff are available to appropriately care for patients. Healthcare workers want a contract that guarantees dedicated break relief staff and ensures charge nurses are free of assignments, so they can better coordinate care and nursing across their unit. Workers are also calling for meaningful workplace safety measures and a voice in hospital decisions that impact the patients they care for every day.

“The hospital continues to reject real, workable solutions to ensure consistent break relief without violating the law, leaving staff and patients at risk,” said Melissa Leaptrot, a RN in the emergency department. “We need proper meal and rest breaks in order to provide safe and quality care to our community.”

In a news release, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW highlighted the commonalities between the contract fights at St. Anne and another CommonSpirit-owned hospital in Enumclaw.

“The informational picket at St. Anne follows another picket in November 2025 at CommonSpirit-owned St. Elizabeth Hospital in Enumclaw, where union nurses faced a similar fight before ultimately reaching an agreement with management in February 2026. Healthcare workers are calling on CommonSpirit to invest in safe staffing, patient care, and community well-being, not lavish executive salaries and sports teams sponsorships.”