PeaceHealth nurses ratify new contract with Vancouver hospital

Nurses at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver voted to ratify a new labor contract Thursday evening after 10 hours of voting.

The 1,465 nurses represented by the Washington State Nurses Association reached a tentative agreement May 29 with PeaceHealth after 18 bargaining sessions and an informational picket. The ballots were sealed until polls closed at 8 p.m. Thursday. Union leaders said there was unprecedented turnout within the bargaining unit for voting.

“This contract included big wins for nurses, including a stronger voice in staffing plans, protection against workplace violence and significant wage increases, but there’s still work to be done,” Jayson Dick, the union’s labor director, said in an email to The Columbian on Friday.