Members of the Washington State Nurses Association have approved a new labor agreement with Seattle Children’s.
Six things to know:
1. Nurses approved the agreement after nine months of bargaining and 36 sessions, according to a Jan. 30 union news release.
2. According to the union, the contract includes market-based adjustments to the wage scale that raise average wages by 15% by March 2028. Individual nurses are expected to see an average wage increase of more than $13 per hour over the life of the agreement.
3. The contract also includes increases to eight premiums, higher sick leave accruals and four new protected leaves: on-the-job injury leave, workplace violence leave, post-shift fatigue leave and leave following the death of a patient.
4. In addition, the agreement includes provisions related to workplace violence prevention, including two dedicated security personnel on the psychiatry and behavioral medicine unit, language addressing the use of new technologies in nursing care and expanded commitments related to anti-racism and nondiscrimination.
5. In a statement shared with Becker’s, a Seattle Children’s spokesperson said the agreement “recognizes the dedication, professionalism and quality of the nursing team at Seattle Children’s,” and thanked the bargaining teams for their work.
6. The agreement takes effect Feb. 2 and runs through the end of February 2029. It includes full retroactive pay back to Sept. 1, 2025.
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