This is a critical juncture in our contract negotiations. Let’s break down what you need to know:

Key Progress Made

• Narrowing the scope: Your team has strategically packaged proposals that advance member priorities in key areas while returning to current contract language and accepting hospital language elsewhere to narrow the issues in dispute. This will allow us to focus energy on major sticking points.
• TAs reached on 7 articles and an MOU: This approach resulted in TAs on multiple articles today.  Among the agreements, we:
  • Preserved employer-paid medical benefits
  • Limited the no strike clause to Seattle Children’s so that our members can support other workers and unions in their labor disputes and picket in support of racial justice and other issues
  • Expanded new RN orientation from 20 to 30 minutes
  • Fought back take-aways that would have
    • Prohibited nurses from striking after the contract end date
    • Limited the number and recognition of grievance officers and stewards
    • Eliminated the rights guaranteed in an existing MOU of union representatives and stewards to advocate for members
    • Required our WSNA nurse representatives to give 24-hours’ notice before visiting Seattle Children’s
    • Expanded the employer’s ability to make changes to benefit plans
  • Returned to current contract language, or very close to it, on articles relating to annual leave and management rights

Contract Extension

We are in the process of bargaining a limited contract extension that would secure back pay to September 1 for all nurses if we reach an agreement by 11/21 and it ratifies.

Bargaining Dates

We are setting more bargaining dates between now and 11/21 to try to reach a complete agreement

Eight Simple Words: “Racism has no place within Seattle Children’s Hospital.” 

While we are encouraged that we have been able reach agreement on many open issues, we were very disappointed that the Hospital rejected our proposal to reach agreement on a package that would expand commitments to anti-racism and resolve a bunch of other open issues. What’s the hang up? The Hospital’s insistence that we delete the following language from the current contract: the parties agree that “racism is a public health crisis, that racism has no place within Seattle Children’s Hospital, and that racism affects the health of employees, patients, and patients’ families.”  Does racism have a place within Seattle Children’s Hospital?  We don’t think so.

Other Core Issues Still in Dispute

After four and a half days of mediation, the Hospital still holds fast on many of your major priorities:

1. Break relief nurses – SCH continues to reject our ask for expanded break relief nurses to ensure safe patient care
2. No increase in sick time accrual – SCH has insisted that current accrual rates are sufficient even when confronted with their own data showing that most nurses lack enough sick leave to take two days off while ill or injured. As of August 2025, 37% of our nurses have less than 12 hours of sick leave, 51% have less than 24 hours, and 65% have less than 36 hours of sick leave. We have nearly 2,200 nurses. WSNA is in part attributing these high percentages to a deficit in available sick time based on the negative 40 hour allowance during COVID.
3. Mandatory arbitration – SCH continues to insist that the Union force nurses’ legal claims to arbitration rather than preserving nurses’ right to go to court when the Hospital violates your rights under the law.
4. Eliminating union security – SCH has held fast on this threat to the foundational strength of your bargaining unit
5. Below comparable wages – Management has not given us a wage proposal during the entire mediation. Its last proposal STILL offers compensation that falls short of comparable hospitals with similar patient populations, ultimately impacting recruitment and retention.
6. Forcing nurses to pay for their own time off when assaulted at work – We are SO CLOSE to an amazing new, detailed article on workplace violence protections.  But SCH continues to refuse our ask for up to 3 days of paid time for nurses injured by workplace violence, instead proposing that nurses use up vacation or take unpaid time off if their workplace violence injuries impair their ability to work.
7. Premium pay to recruit and retain nurses in hard-to-fill areas like nights, weekends, and the PBMU.

The Inflection Point

How committed are you to these issues?

• We have rolled up our sleeves and done the hard work of bargaining for 24 sessions. We remain worlds apart on many key issues.
• A strike assessment represents the next logical escalation.
• Members need to decide: accept the employer’s offer or indicate readiness to move towards stronger collective action.
• Movement on these core issues will require unity and courage.

Next steps in strike preparedness: Assessments

In the coming days and weeks, every nurse is going to be asked to decide if YOU are willing to stand with us on the strike line or not. This is not a vote to strike, but a valuable assessment to inform our team if our nurses here want to accept what is being offered, or if we are going to fight back. The strike assessment is NOT a vote to strike. That comes later.  This is information that our bargaining team needs to know so we can make the best strategic move forward in our efforts to get to a fair contract.

This escalation is a necessary step to put meaningful pressure on the Hospital to address our reasonable demands for a fair contract. Our strength lies in our unity and our readiness to take collective action, and we want every member to be prepared for the possibility of a work stoppage in the coming months. Further details on how you can get involved and what this preparation entails will be shared at upcoming union meetings.

This decision was not taken lightly. Join us, our WSNA Rep, Legal team, and Organizing team on Wednesday, November 5th as we recap how we got to this place, what you can expect in the coming months and the help that we will need to make sure that every nurse here can have their voice heard.

The strike assessment tells us how ready and willing you are to strike IF negotiations don't improve. This gives us leverage at the table.

Important Dates – Mark your Calendars!

Join the Virtual Union Meeting

• When: Wednesday, November 5 at 6 pm and 8 pm
• Where: Microsoft Teams Meeting

Dial in by phone +1 206-485-2614,,638006231# United States, Seattle (888) 313-0615,,638006231# United States (Toll-free)
Phone conference ID: 638 006 231#

Virtual Strike Captain Trainings (more will be announced)

• Tuesday November 11, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Thursday November 13, 6 pm – 7 pm

A HUGE thank you to the Cancer and Blood Disorder Center (CBDC) Nurses for providing an amazing lunch for the bargaining team!

Come Observe Mediation 

• Upcoming mediation dates TBD – It’s looking like we’ll have at least four more bargaining dates in the next two weeks. We’d love to have your support.

Do not hesitate to contact any of the officers if you have questions. All of our contacts are on our WSNA website. https://www.wsna.org/union/seattle-childrens-hospital. Also, utilizing our Instagram @sch_wsna offers quick updates and opportunities for DMs.

In solidarity,

Your Bargaining Team
Annika Hoogestraat, Kara Yates, Lindsey Kirsch, Sam Forte, Katie Podobnik, Therese Hill, Kelsey Gellner, AJ Nagal, Emma Gordon, Sarah Munro, Cody Ian, Lauren Lustyk, Regan Halom, Jon McAferty and Anne Marie Fountain

WSNA Nurse Rep Linda Burbank at lburbank@wsna.org