MLK Labor Council Passes Resolution

Yesterday the delegates at the MLK Labor Council unanimously voted to approve our resolution in support of ongoing contract negotiations. Specifically, a 'Resolution Demanding Seattle Children’s Hospital Restore Its Stated Values of Being an Equitable, Anti-Racist Institution and Stop Its Attack on Workers and Their Union'. The MLK Labor Council is the overarching body for Labor in King County and represents over 150 unions and more than 220,000 workers. Many of these unions showed up to support our informational picket on September 30, and we are grateful for their continued support. We are stronger together.

On Wednesday, October 15, Local Unit Co-chair Annika Hoogestraat presented a resolution to the executive board of the MLK Labor Council about Seattle Children’s recent choices in negotiations. Annika stated, “Seattle Children's Hospital has demonstrated through its bargaining positions that it has chosen to abandon its stated values on health equity and anti-racism and embrace anti-worker and anti-union positions that aim to undermine fundamental rights of workers and their union. Seattle Children’s uses our city’s name, and they owe it to us to reflect the values of our city. Our nurses love our work, and we love these kids- our kids.”

With the support of MLK Labor Delegate and lead Steward Sara Buck, and WSNA Stewards Britt Nave and Helen Angel, the Labor Council strongly condemned Seattle Children’s management and offered solidarity to the nurses at WSNA. They also resolved to urge elected officials and community partners to hold Seattle Children’s accountable for the betrayal of their values.

Letter of Support from Dr. Ben Danielson

Dr. Ben Danielson has made his support of the nurses clear in an open letter. Dr. Danielson is the former Medical Director of Seattle Children's Hospital’s Odessa Brown Children's Clinic (OBCC), which primarily serves families of color and low-income families. He sued the hospital for creating and tolerating a racially hostile work environment and for retaliating against him for opposing the hospital’s discriminatory acts. In December 2024, a jury awarded Dr. Danielson $21 million.

The letter calls out concerns about management’s willingness to abandon DEI and anti-racism values. Management continues to push to remove current health equity and anti-racism language from our contract.  For example, they propose to remove any reference to Health Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives, and they insist on striking: “The Employer and the Association 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.” Management has suggested that accepting this language and related WSNA proposals would ‘not be responsible’ as it could put the Hospital’s funding at risk.

Dr. Danielson expresses his support of the nurses, stating, “I have been especially guided by your moral grounding, which is deeply woven into your dedication to helping others. In particular, your stalwart championing of DEI and anti-racism has stood as healthcare’s beacon. In this, and so many other ways, you are the conscience of caring. Which is why I am so disheartened by Seattle Children’s Hospital’s decisions to erase DEI and anti-racism language from their contract language with you, as well as from their website content.”

Call to Action 

We have heard from you about how off-putting and in some cases downright insulting management's latest 'pre-negotiation email' to membership was. We are all "The Union" and we are all "WSNA" because we are all a team and that is how teams work. How is it that management still doesn't know this?

The strongest way to fight misinformation like what we saw in managements email earlier this week is with clarity and transparency, which is why it is so important for us each to prioritize coming for whatever time we can to witness bargaining. If you can't make it yourself, is there someone from your unit who can? Can you encourage them to go and bring the truth back to your peers?

Upcoming Bargaining Sessions:

• October 16
• October 17
• October 29
• October 30
• November 3
• November 4

Bargaining takes place at 1916 Boren and typically starts at 9 am.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our WSNA Organizer Crystal at cdoll@wsna.org.

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