Registered nurses at Seattle Children’s Hospital voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, union officials said, as contract negotiations remain unresolved.
The vote authorizes the bargaining team to call a strike if negotiations do not result in what nurses describe as a fair contract.
If a strike is pursued, it would be the first in the hospital’s 118-year history.
The Washington State Nurses Association, which represents about 2,100 registered nurses at Seattle Children’s, said the strike authorization came as nurses were sharing their latest contract proposal with hospital leaders.
If no agreement is reached, the bargaining team would seek approval from the union’s Labor Executive Council to give the hospital a 10-day strike notice, as required by law.
Nurses described the vote as a last resort after months of negotiations that have yet to produce a new agreement.
Their previous contract expired Nov. 21.
The strike authorization followed 33 bargaining sessions, an informational picket, and a full-page advertisement published Nov. 30 in The Seattle Times.
The ad outlined nurses’ concerns and their goals for a new contract.
“We don’t want a labor dispute. We don’t want to strike. We want a fair contract that protects nurses’ legal rights, ensures patient safety, compensates nurses injured by workplace violence, and maintains the union strength that has made this institution exceptional,” the nurses wrote in the ad.
Seattle Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson also weighed in earlier this month, posting a social media video urging the hospital to bargain in good faith.
“I am calling on Seattle Children’s to step up and do right by nurses, their patients, and our entire city,” Wilson said. “In Seattle, we stand with nurses.”
Union leaders said negotiations have marked a sharp change from what nurses describe as a historically collaborative relationship with hospital management.
According to the union, some proposals and bargaining positions have raised concerns about workplace protections and respect for nurses’ voices.
The union said it took 28 bargaining sessions before the hospital agreed to retain existing contract language stating, “Racism has no place within Seattle Children’s Hospital.”
The Washington State Nurses Association said its Labor Executive Council authorized Seattle Children’s nurses to hold a strike vote after meeting with the bargaining team on Dec. 14.
Nurses say their contract priorities focus on staffing stability, safety, and compensation.
Among their key issues is pay for night-shift nurses and other hard-to-fill roles.
Nurses say higher premiums are needed to recruit and retain experienced staff, particularly on night shifts, where about half of nurses have fewer than three years of experience.
They also point to sick leave as a major concern, saying many nurses lack enough time to stay home when ill or recovering from workplace injuries.
According to the union, 37% of nurses have less than 12 hours of sick leave available, and more than half have less than 24 hours.
Related to that issue is workplace violence leave.
Nurses say injuries on the job should not force them to choose between unpaid time off or using vacation time if they are unable to work.
Pay levels are another sticking point.
The union says Seattle Children’s, despite its national reputation, pays below market compared with other West Coast pediatric hospitals, with wages ranging from 10% to 40% lower depending on role and experience.
Nurses are also seeking stronger protections for rest and meal breaks, saying missed breaks are common and can affect both nurse well-being and patient care.
In addition, WSNA has filed multiple unfair labor practice complaints alleging retaliation threats against union supporters, limits on nurses’ ability to observe bargaining, and unilateral changes to working conditions.
The union said those actions raise concerns under federal labor law.
No strike date has been set.
Union officials said bargaining will continue as nurses wait to see whether the hospital presents a proposal that addresses their concerns.