Over 1,000 WA nurses picket MultiCare Good Samaritan over staffing, wages

Nurses at Good Samaritan picket in Puyallup, WA

More than 1,000 nurses at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup are on the picket line this morning. Their message: they need safer staffing. Today's picket didn't impact patient services, but they hope the outcome will.

PUYALLUP, Wash. - More than 1,000 nurses at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital took to the picket line Wednesday morning, seeking to draw public attention to ongoing contract negotiations and demands for safer staffing ratios.

The informational picket, which began early in the morning, did not disrupt patient services. Participating nurses returned to their shifts inside the hospital after the demonstration but plan to picket more throughout the day.

Demands for patient safety

What they're saying:

At the core of the contract dispute is a push for mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios, which union members argue is vital for patient safety and quality care.

"When we have less patients for each nurse, it gives us more time to dedicate to each person," said Savanah James, a registered nurse in the progressive care unit (PCU). "We can monitor our patients more carefully—at the end of the day it leads to better patient outcomes."

Nurses emphasized that the hospital's high patient volume exacerbates the strain on staff. According to the nurses' union, Good Samaritan operates the fourth-busiest emergency department in the nation.

"It really is our community we are working for every day, we show up for—and we are asked to do more with us," said Nicole Mandeville, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit (ICU). "MultiCare seems to prioritize things that are not the community."

Wage and discrimination disputes

Union representatives claim that MultiCare’s current contract proposals would worsen existing staffing shortages. They note that the hospital's most recent wage proposal would leave Good Samaritan nurses as the lowest-paid union registered nurses in the Western Washington MultiCare system.

In addition to economic factors, union leadership raised concerns regarding workplace culture and equity. They stated that hospital leadership recently used an "outdated phrase" to describe certain nurses, which they argue contributes to discrimination faced by staff. The union is demanding a formal change to address the issue.

Hospital response and next steps

What's next:

MultiCare leadership responded to the demonstration in a statement issued to FOX 13 Seattle, stating that they place a "high value on the contributions of our nurses at Good Samaritan."

The informational picket serves as a prelude to upcoming contract talks. The next formal negotiation session between the union and MultiCare management is scheduled for June 2.

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