Nurses at PeaceHealth St. Joseph in Bellingham to picket April 29
The biggest issues are over health benefits, subpar wages, and a lack of respect.
April 15, 2025 • 2 minutes, 23 seconds to read
In Bellingham, PeaceHealth St. Joseph is not only the biggest hospital, but the biggest employer as well.
The 1,100 nurses represented by the Washington State Nurses Association are invested in their lives and community in Whatcom County but say PeaceHealth is using its market power to pressure nurses to accept substandard benefits and wages.
The nurses announced they will hold an informational picket April 29 unless they can reach a fair agreement with the hospital. After 11 bargaining sessions, both sides are far apart. The parties will meet again for mediation on April 17 and 18.
The biggest issues are over a new insurance plan that costs more and offers less, wages, and a feeling of disrespect from management.
The fact that nurses do not receive quality healthcare comes as a surprise to many, but nurses at St. Joe’s have seen a steady deterioration in their health benefits to the point that many are having to pay thousands more out-of-pocket and travel hundreds of miles for care.
“I have worked for them for 20 years. It’s frustrating they are a monopoly. Insurance benefits have gotten worse and worse,” said Amber Pouley, an ER nurse. “We are healthcare workers. We should have good health insurance.”
Under the contract that expired March 31, any substantial changes to insurance benefits must be bargained with the union. PeaceHealth argues that the changes it made for the 2025 plan year were not substantial. But the changes have upended many lives.
One nurse said their family pays 97% more towards health insurance premiums now versus December 2023. Another nurse said their child’s preventative healthcare increased from $480 per year to $1,560 per year. And another said their 90-day supply of a medication for $45 in 2024 went up to $294 in 2025.
Robin Cully, WSNA co-chair at PeaceHealth, said the hospital’s statement that the insurance changes were not substantial makes it difficult to work with them on contract language.
Robin Cully, WSNA co-chair at PeaceHealth, said the hospital’s statement that the insurance changes were not substantial makes it difficult to work with them on contract language.
“It’s hard to foster a relationship with a partner the bargaining unit doesn’t trust,” he said.
In addition to increased costs, nurses have lost access to local physicians due to the PeaceHealth plan ceasing coverage through the Family Care Network and instead channeling nurses to PeaceHealth-employed physicians, of which there are far fewer locally.
“They took away one of the most important relationships we have in healthcare, our primary care providers, by opting into a plan with a narrow network and fewer choices,” said Britt Hanowell, a nurse in care management.
Nurses are asking for a more accessible, cost-effective health insurance plan or to offset the costs of the new plan.
Management’s wage proposals have failed to cover the increased cost of healthcare, especially considering the rising cost of living in Bellingham. To date, management’s proposed wage rates have failed to keep pace with those at the closest comparably sized acute care hospitals along the I-5 corridor.
Every year, St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham invites staff to submit ideas that might improve hospital operations. Here’s an idea for the hospital’s “Shark Tank” contest: How about investing in nurses?