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Therese Juntunen, local unit chair at Tacoma General, at the picket on Jan. 23.
Credit: WSNA/Matt Vivion

Big contract wins for Tacoma General and Mary Bridge NICU nurses

Nurses at Tacoma General and Mary Bridge NICU picketed Jan. 23, reached a tentative agreement a week later, and overwhelmingly ratified new contracts on Feb. 6.

This story appears in the February 2026 edition of The Washington Nurse.

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If you're here to read The long road to victory at Seattle Children’s, the article is here.

On Feb. 6, nurses at Tacoma General Hospital and at Mary Bridge NICU ratified new contracts by an overwhelming majority.

Both contracts boast average wage increases of 15.46% over three years and some of the best call language in the state.

At Tacoma General, nurses fought to maintain the nurse-to-patient ratios spelled out in their contract, which they won in 2017. The new contract maintains existing ratios in Medical/Surgical, Progressive Care, Critical Care, ED, OR, PACU, NICU, Birth Center, Women and Infant, and Antepartum. They also added ratios for OB ED.

For the NICU nurses at Mary Bridge, the new language dictates that staffing will be based on patient acuity in alignment with the gold standard guidelines set by the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN), and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

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    Nurses from Tacoma General celebrate their tentative agreement on Jan. 23
    Credit: WSNA/Matt Vivion
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    Brooke Caccamo, NICU nurse at Mary Bridge, at the picket on Jan. 23
    Credit: WSNA/Bobbi Nodell
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    Nurses walk the picket line on Jan. 23.
    Credit: WSNA/Matt Vivion
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    Nurses walk the picket line on Jan. 23.
    Credit: WSNA/Matt Vivion
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    Nurses pose for a group shot at the picket on Jan. 23
    Credit: WSNA/Matt Vivion
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    Nurses walk the picket line on Jan. 23.
    Credit: WSNA/Matt Vivion
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    Justin Gill, WSNA president, speaks at the picket on Jan. 23.
    Credit: WSNA/Matt Vivion
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    Ker Panlasigui from the Tanggol Migrante Movement speaks at the picket on Jan. 23
    Credit: WSNA/Matt Vivion

Nurses held an informational picket on Jan. 23, drawing hundreds of nurses and community supporters. They reached a tentative agreement one week later.

Other contract highlights include the highest night differential in the state, restrictions on the use of “break buddies,” and float protections. At Mary Bridge, NICU staffing plans must be approved by NICU staffing committee representatives.