Virginia Mason nurses picket for more staff, better safety

Virginia Mason nurses are on the picket line Tuesday, calling for better pay, working conditions, and security.

According to the Washington State Nurses Association, the union representing the nurses, the 650 employees they represent will be picketing outside the Seattle hospital until 2 p.m.

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Michael Salters, a critical care nurse at Virginia Mason since 2018, said that nurses have even been attacked, including one nurse who was stabbed in the face with a butter knife and another who was nearly hit in the head with a claw hammer.

Some of the solutions that nurses are asking the hospital to implement include having visitors to the hospital register at a front desk, limiting the number of publicly accessible entrances, metal detectors, dogs, and an effective and responsive security team.

“These are common-sense safety measures that other local hospitals currently use and that are recommended by the American Hospital Association,” the union said in a statement.

The workers are also protesting against staff cuts, including the contracts of travel nurses, as well as chronic understaffing. According to WSNA, from July 2023 to Aug. 2023, the net number of registered nurses dropped by 60, with some departments having a complete staff turnover over the past year.

“Since Virginia Mason was bought by Common Spirit about two years ago, now we have faced chronic short staffing to the degree of 15-20 nurses short a day,” Salters said.

In a statement from the company, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health said that they address safety issues immediately, and patient care will be unaffected. The company’s full statement can be read below:

“The nursing staff at Virginia Mason Medical Center play an invaluable role in caring for patients in our hospital, our clinics and our community. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is committed to ensuring a safe and high-quality workplace that attracts and retains our dedicated employees. We address any safety issues immediately as they occur and work to ensure a secure environment is provided for everyone. We respect the collective bargaining process and are participating in good faith. As we move forward with the negotiation process, patients can expect to receive uninterrupted, quality care.

Virginia Mason nurses might not be the only healthcare workers on the picket lines, results of the Kaiser Permanente Union’s vote to strike are expected Friday.

Kaiser workers went on a three-day strike last week before going back to work Saturday. More bargaining is expected to be held Thursday and Friday, and Kaiser did say tentative agreements were made on some issues.