Healthcare workers call out MultiCare hypocrisy

The health system publicly sponsored Juneteenth events even as executives continued denying workers the day off and used racially-charged language in an internal document

SEATTLE, WA (June 29, 2026) — Healthcare workers united in SEIU Healthcare 1199NW are pointing out how MultiCare has publicly celebrated Juneteenth while denying workers paid time off for the federal holiday, prioritized eliminating MLK Day as a paid holiday in previous contract negotiations, and as executives used the derogatory phrase ‘colored nurses’ in an internal memo.

“I work for Good Samaritan Hospital where neither Juneteenth nor MLK Day are recognized as holidays, but hospital executives will have you believe that equity and justice matter to them,” said Twana Lucas, a healthcare worker at Good Samaritan in Puyallup. “Discrimination and racism are huge problems that my coworkers and I face every day at the hospital. Every time I walk into my department I am reminded that I’m Black because of the way I’m treated. Juneteenth is about resilience, and it takes strength and heart to do this work every day. But don’t be fooled by MultiCare’s sponsorships for a day they don’t even recognize as a holiday.”

Healthcare workers at MultiCare held an informational picket in April. Photo: SEIU Healthcare 1199NW

In a column published in the Tacoma News Tribune, nurse Jacqueline Dynes called out MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital administrators for a meeting agenda that included an agenda item to discuss workers’ concerns about workplace discrimination, saying a union representative thought “there is discrepancy for colored nurses as it relates to discipline.”

Wrote Dynes: “I have never seen the term ‘colored’ used to describe African Americans. Not since I was a child in the early 1960s, a time when that word was still seen and Black people were still being called ‘colored’ by white people. The use of the word ‘colored’ — in this day and age — was a slap in the face, made worse by the fact that the committee members are almost entirely white.”

Healthcare workers at several MultiCare facilities in Washington state have been in ongoing bargaining for months, pushing the health system to negotiate a contract that respects and fairly compensates the healthcare professionals that provide vital care to patients every day. MultiCare’s unwillingness to prioritize staff and patient care has led SEIU Healthcare 1199NW to launch the MultiDON’TCare campaign, highlighting how MultiCare’s pursuit of maximum profits harms patients and healthcare workers alike.

For healthcare workers, the lack of respect they’re seeing at the bargaining table is mirrored in MultiCare’s public support of Juneteenth while privately failing to match words to actions.

“MultiCare has repeatedly said they are inclusive, they celebrate and benefit from Juneteenth and MLK Day but refuse to give us the days as holidays,” said KoKo Pitts, a healthcare worker at Navos Behavioural Health in Seattle and a member of the bargaining team for SEIU Healthcare 1199NW. “They sponsor events like this and it’s insulting. Now a federal holiday in the United States, Juneteenth continues to honor African American history and culture while serving as a reminder of the ongoing fight for civil rights. Many businesses in the U.S. now recognize the importance of Juneteenth as a paid holiday. We deserve to celebrate Juneteenth like many others in our country and communities.”

Workers are continuing to push for a fair contract. SEIU Healthcare 1199NW reports that currently, MultiCare refuses to pay healthcare workers equally at hospitals on both sides of the state; meanwhile, MultiCare’s CEO Bob Robertson made $8,673,258 in 2024.