Providence nurses, healthcare workers postpone strike date citing progress in negotiations

January 3, 2020 7:56 AM

Erin Robinson,

Posted: January 3, 2020 7:56 AM

Updated: January 3, 2020 12:19 PM

by Erin Robinson

Nurses and healthcare workers at Sacred Heart and Holy Family have postponed their strike date.

SPOKANE, Wash. — The Washington State Nurses Association has postponed their strike date, citing progress in negotiations with Providence.

WSNA was expected to announce a strike date at a press conference on Friday morning.

“The parties have made significant progress on key issues. The parties will go back to the table to continue bargaining their respective contracts. We are committed to working through outstanding shared interests regarding patient safety, workplace violence preventions, and recruitment and retention,” a release from the Nurses Association said.

Providence issued the following statement:

“After late-night discussions with representatives from Washington State Nurses’ Association (WSNA) and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW 21), bargaining team representatives from Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital are very pleased that the unions and their bargaining teams have agreed to expedited negotiations to work toward agreements for contracts at these hospitals. We believe this is a positive step toward reaching the shared goal of mutually agreeable contract terms.”

For over a year, WSNA and Providence have been negotiating safe staffing levels, sick leave, competitive compensation and affordable access to health care.