Kadlec Nurses Vote to Strike After Negotiations Fail

Negotiations have been ongoing for over a year, but after Wednesday's vote, it appears some 900 Kadlec nurses are prepared to strike.

At odds over a variety of issues, from ensuring better safety for nurses to pay, from paid time off to scheduling issues, the nurses voted in favor of the move.

Now, the matter will go before the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) board or cabinet who will then determine when the strike will happen, how long it could last etc. They are also legally required to give Providence Health Systems (Kadlec's parent company) 10 day notice of when such strike would begin. The WSNA is the union that represents the nurses in the hospital system.

According to Kadlec, they have not received that ten day notice yet.  Sources say WSNA is in the process of trying to set up another mediation session with the hospital. Kadlec released this statement following the nurses vote:

"We are aware that WSNA has voted for a strike authorization. At this time, the hospital has not received a 10-day strike notice, which is required if there were to be a strike. Kadlec Regional Medical Center is open and here to care for our community. We are actively bargaining in good faith with the union and a federal mediator and we are hopeful that we can come to an agreement.

"Kadlec has a 75 year commitment of caring for our community and will continue to do so. We’re proud of that commitment and of the proposals we’ve provided to our nurses. This includes market-leading compensation with an average salary of $78,000 and 5 to 7 weeks of paid time off, among other benefits. We have requested additional bargaining dates from WSNA, and look forward to coming to an agreement with our nurses so we can continue to serve our community together."