Make no mistake, this fight is bigger than the bargaining table. 

Your bargaining team wrapped up our 13th session with Seattle Children’s yesterday. And what did management bring? Nothing.

Despite us passing our thoughtful economic counter last Thursday, the hospital showed up unprepared—with no proposals across the table—yet made sure to tell us they “won’t be moving much.” A game of delay and disrespect.

Here’s what we did:

• We passed back two proposals centered on health and safety, because protecting ourselves and our patients is paramount.
• We stood strong on enhanced safety measures, including:
  • Memorializing the Workplace Violence Committee in the contract so this work can’t be brushed aside.
  • Ensuring the weapons screening pilot moves forward swiftly.
  • Enhancing security presence on the Psychiatric and Behavioral Medicine Unit (PBMU) to protect both staff and patients.

We reintroduced Article 7 – Hours of Work and Overtime.

• To protect patient care and nurse well-being, we proposed language providing for hospital-wide Break Nurses—prioritized in year one for acute care units (including CBDC) and urgent care, with phased expansion over the life of the contract to all other units.
• We urged the Hospital to stop trying to get out of legal liability for missed breaks by asking the Union to waive nurses’ breaks, but rather to invest in true break coverage so nurses can actually get the breaks they need.
• We held firm on eliminating the break buddy system and making sure that nurses can opt out of breaks but they don’t have to opt in.

We will be bargaining the rest/meal break waiver form. In the meantime, if you are being required to complete the form, do so, but we encourage you not to waive your breaks!

Here’s the reality:

The hospital failed to give us a proposal on a single article. Instead of sulking that the Union didn’t come down further on its economic ask, SCH should engage with us on critical issues like sick leave accruals and incentivizing hard-to-fill roles like nights, evenings, weekends, PBMU and ED.   They have continued to stall giving us information to back up the statements they make at the table. While they gave us a two-sided sheet of their “estimated 3-year costs” they did not give us the backup data on which it was based and did not give us data to support the value of their own economic proposal, including how much they would save by taking away coverage for employee health care premiums.  If their data is strong, why are they hiding the numbers? Legal counsel for Children’s diminished our inquiries by stating, ‘We didn’t say we couldn’t afford your economic proposal. We said it’s unreasonable.’

What this means:

Seattle Children’s is dragging their feet, hoping we’ll get tired or settle for less. But every session makes it clearer: their bargaining positions do not show respect for the work we do and continue to devalue caregiving roles. They want to wear us down. We will not let that happen.

Where we stand:

We are proud to represent such an engaged and enraged group of nurses. We are fighting for our safety, our ability to provide for our families, and recognition for the professional expertise we bring to this hospital every single day.

But make no mistake—this fight is bigger than the bargaining table. If management won’t move at the table, we'll move outside of it. Get ready to raise our voices, show our strength, and prove once again that the hospital cannot function without its nurses. We are ready at any time to drop a 10-day picket notice.

A HUGE shout out to the Medical Unit for providing a spectacular lunch for the Bargaining Team! It definitely fueled us for the day.

Seattle Children's Nurses expect fair wages, quality working conditions, and respect. We will not be intimidated. And together, we will win the respect, protections, and compensation we deserve.

✨ Calling all crafty nurses (you know who you are!) — join us at an upcoming bargaining session to help us craft some excellent picket signs. Come show your power at the bargaining table, see you at 1916 Boren Ave! Let’s make sure our voices are seen as well as heard!✨

We are back at the table on September 18.

YOU ARE WSNA! 

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, Anne Marie Fountain and Bree Casas

WSNA Nurse Rep Linda Burbank at lburbank@wsna.org