Leaders of several local and national unions issued a joint statement following the expected guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that will weaken protections for healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting the coronavirus outbreak.

Nurses are on the frontlines of caring for patients, including those with COVID-19, and nurses represented by the Washington State Nurses Association have been caring for COVID-19 patients here in Washington state. Nurses feel a tremendous professional and ethical calling to care for every patient, and they are doing just that. We do need to ensure, though, that nurses and other health care workers are getting the needed protective equipment to do their jobs safely.

The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), and Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP), representing more than 30,000 health professionals in the state, today issued a joint statement on the COVID-19 outbreak.

After 14 months of negotiations with Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Washington State Nurses Association reached a Tentative Agreement with management at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7 that protects sick time and includes staffing and workplace safety language.

After ongoing discussions, the three unions representing 13,000 health care workers at 13 Providence hospitals statewide have agreed to pause plans to announce a strike. The parties have made significant progress on key issues.

The nurses and healthcare workers of the Washington State Nurses Association, UFCW 21 and SEIU Healthcare 1199NW will announce their intent to strike in press conferences Friday, Jan. 3 to be held in Seattle and Spokane.

By an overwhelming majority, the WSNA-represented registered nurses at Providence Kadlec Regional Medical Center have ratified a new 3-year contract.

In a major victory for Kadlec nurses, the Washington State Nurses Association and Providence Kadlec Regional Medical Center reached a tentative contract agreement last night.

SEATTLE—In a press conference held today outside Swedish Medical Center First Hill Campus, nurses and other healthcare workers representing caregivers from three unions announced their readiness to strike if parent company Providence does not come back to the bargaining table with fair contract proposals.