Possible strike looms as nurses at St. Joseph in Tacoma seek better staffing, safety

After their contract ended on Halloween, nurses at Tacoma’s St. Joseph Medical Center spent a rainy Friday morning picketing outside the hospital.

The nurses’ union, Washington State Nurses Association or WSNA, has been negotiating with hospital management since August. But Pamela Chandran, director of legal affairs for the union, said there are sticking points.

“The biggest issues for the St. Joe’s nurses are staffing and safety,” Chandran said. “Those are two places where management has been dragging its feet or offering, at best, watered down, performative proposals.”