Seattle Children's nurses ratify new contract

SEATTLE - Nurses with the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) union have voted to rarity their new contract.

The union announced late Thursday that the new deal will go into effect on Monday.

The new contract would offer a $10/hour raise for all 1,700 nurses represented by WSNA over the next year. By August 2024, the base rate for newly-graduated nurses will be the highest in the city at $47.60/hour, according to WSNA.

A tentative agreement on a new contract was reached in the early hours of Aug. 16 after nearly a day of discussions. A week prior, more than 900 nurses at Seattle Children's took part in an informational picket, demanding changes to their contract.

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Nurses and supporters rally for better working conditions outside the Seattle Children's Hospital in Seattle, Washington, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. Seattle Children's nurses are concerned about working conditions, stalled contract negotiations and staff shortages, according to the Washington State Nurses Association. Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg via Getty Images

According to WSNA, the tentative agreement "converts wage progression to an equitable annual advancement."

The union explained: "Previously, nurses were advanced to the next step on the wage scale based on hours worked rather than years of experience. As a result, nurses who worked part-time were far below what they would have gotten at another hospital."

By the end of the three-year contract, a nurse on the beginning step of the wage scale will see their pay increase by 49.7.%, WSNA said.

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