Nurses at Virginia Mason picket over workplace violence, low staffing and wages

SEATTLE — Nurses with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle are picketing Tuesday to demand better staffing, higher wages and more protections against workplace violence at the hospital.

The 650 nurses represented by the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) picketed from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and then again from noon to 2 p.m.

The picket comes after 15 bargaining sessions with the hospital.

Workers allege that their concerns over low staffing and workplace violence are being ignored by management. One nurse was stabbed in the face with a butter knife and another nurse missed being hit in the head with a claw hammer, according to the union.