Editor’s Update 11/07/2023 9:15 AM: MyEverettNews.com reached out to Providence Hospital for comment and received the following from Mafara Hobson with Swedish Providence which was posted to their blog on November 4th.
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett (PRMCE) fervently believes that strikes do not settle contracts. In fact, strikes delay contracts. Strikes keep our hard-working and valued nurses from receiving the pay increases they deserve and delay much needed support at the bedside. Strikes also strain the health care delivery system in our community and jeopardize vital care for those who depend on us.
We are extremely disappointed that UFCW has rejected our contract proposal and chosen to strike. An average full-time PRMCE nurse currently earns a base salary of $121,000 per year – and work three 12-hour shifts a week. The contract UFCW rejected would have increased nurse wages by 21.5% over three years, with an average 13% increase upon ratification.
PRMCE has been preparing for the unfortunate possibility of a strike for some time. We are confident we will continue to provide critical services during the strike. While our highest priority is continued access to care for those who need us, the reality is due to the staffing challenges a strike creates, some services may be limited or closed during the strike.
Now we turn our full focus toward preparing our hospital campuses for a strike. We look forward to returning to the bargaining table to resume negotiations after the strike.
Juan Stout has been a nurse at the Emergency Room at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett for 15 years.
On October 19th ninety seven percent of the members of the UFCW 3000 membership who work at the two locations voted on to authorize a strike. Negotiations broke off Friday with no settlement between management at Providence and the union. Negotiations have been going on since April of this year.
1300 nurses are expected to staff the picket lines at the two locations during the week.
Juan Stout, who has worked as a nurse in the emergency room at Providence Regional Medical Center for fifteen years told those gathered at a news conference at the Labor Temple in Everett that low staffing is impacting the care in the community. “We are distressed that it’s come to this step,” said Stout. “Nurses tale our job caring for the community extremely serious. We see you and your families through some of the most difficult times and moments of your lives but while we don’t take the idea of striking lightly, at some point our responsibility to the patients leaves more than just the medical care that we can give them on a single shift. We have seen too much preventable pain, distress, tragedy in the last few years and it seems clear if we don’t do something, right now, people will continue to feel the suffering they’ve had over the past few years. It’s that simple.”
Nurses say they are willing to go back to the negotiations at any time but if there is no resolution they will be on the picket lines at 6:00 AM November 14th.
November 6, 2023
Everett