WSNA, Skyline ratify new contract with large wage increase

WHITE SALMON — Four months and seven bargaining sessions later, the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) and Skyline Hospital officially ratified a new contract on Sept. 24. Previously stalled over wages, WSNA nurses will now get paid enough to compete with comparable hospitals like Adventist Health and Klickitat Valley Health.

An "overwhelming majority" of WSNA nurses signed the contract, which guarantees an 18% wage increase over the next three years, along with several other non-economic changes, according to WSNA's website. For comparison, when Skyline issued its first proposal, the hospital only offered an 11% increase.