Big win for nurses at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma
The nurses voted overwhelmingly in favor of the contract in a historic turnout.
December 17, 2024 • 1 minute, 10 seconds to read
Nurses at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma overwhelmingly ratified a new contract Dec. 19, giving the 1,250 nurses much to celebrate.
The nurses, represented by the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), voted overwhelmingly in favor of the contract (93.6%) in a historic turnout.
The contract will provide the highest wages for registered nurses in Pierce County and the highest rates in Washington for many senior nurses. The contract gives nurses from other countries — such as the Philippines, India, Ghana — full credit for years worked, not half as the hospital had been doing. The agreement also includes protections from workplace violence, including weapon detectors and locked units.
Staffing issues will be greatly improved with dedicated break nurses, a new weekend-only “Baylor” shift, and a fair and equitable system for allocating call to nurses in procedural units. Juneteenth will also be a recognized holiday.
WSNA’s lead negotiator Pamela Chandran said the contract is a testament to the St. Joe’s nurses and their determination.
“We’ve won improved staffing, dedicated workplace safety protections, and the highest wages in the Puget Sound region for experienced nurses, she said.”
Chandran said the team is particularly proud that international nurses will now be paid equally based on their years of registered nurse experience.
“Wage inequality based on national origin or race is intolerable,” she said.
The tentative agreement was reached early in the morning Dec. 12 after 14 bargaining sessions, an informational picket, and a 10-day notice to strike from two units of highly specialized nurses frequently put on call with no notice and for long periods.
The nurses had been working without a contract since Halloween.
St. Joseph Medical Center is part of the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health system, which is a regional subgroup of CommonSpirit Health, the largest not-for-profit hospital chain in the United States.
For highlights of the contract, see the WSNA website on union news.