Nurses Head Back To The Bargaining Table Union Notifies Sacred Heart That It Is Planning An Informational Picket

Nurses at Sacred Heart Medical Center will renew contract negotiations with management next Tuesday.

The more than 1,100 hospital nurses have been working without a contract since Dec. 31. Last week, nurses overwhelmingly voted to reject what management had called its final offer.

If management and nurses don’t reach an agreement after next Tuesday’s session, the nurses said they will stage informational pickets Feb. 23 and 24. They will continue to work their scheduled shifts.

Regardless of what happens during negotiations, nurses plan to have a citywide rally at 4 p.m. Feb. 22 at Cowley Park, near the Heart Institute. There will be a candlelight vigil after the rally.

The nurses on Tuesday notified management of their plans. They must give the hospital 10 days’ notice before informational picketing.

“We would like people to know what it is we’re standing for and why we’re standing for it,” said Barbara Heimbigner, co-chairwoman of the Sacred Heart unit of the Washington State Nurses Association, which represents the nurses.

The nurses say their sticking points on the contract mostly concern patient care. The issues include staffing levels, mandatory on-call time, rest between shifts and wages.

A federal mediator is involved in the negotiations, said Marilyn Thordarson, hospital spokeswoman.

“We welcome the opportunity to return to the table and work together on agreement of the contract,” Thordarson said.

If the nurses begin an informational picket, they’ll continue it as long as it seems worthwhile, Heimbigner said.

“At some point, informational picketing doesn’t do any good any more.”

At that point, nurses would decide whether to settle the contract or strike. If the nurses strike, they would stop working regular shifts and would choose whether to return to the hospital for emergencies. Nurses must give the hospital 10 days notice if they plan to strike.

, DataTimes