Will they strike? Kadlec nurses vote this week after negotiations fall short

A final negotiating session between Kadlec nurses and hospital officials before nurses vote on whether to authorize a strike ended with the parties far apart, according to the Washington State Nurses Association.

Richland nurses’ colleagues at another Providence-owned hospital, Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, the association announced late Friday night after two days of voting there.

Proposed benefit cuts and staffing levels remain points of disagreement for both Sacred Heart and Kadlec Regional Medical Center nurses.

“Sacred Heart nurses reject Providence’s proposals to make substantial cuts to earned benefits even as its multi-state system is collecting record profits and giving extravagant raises to executives,” the Washington State Nurses Association said in a statement after the Spokane vote.

Nurses at Kadlec Regional Medical Center will hold their vote Tuesday and Wednesday in Richland.

“While we are disappointed the union is holding a strike vote, we respect their right to do so,” Kadlec said in a statement Saturday morning.

Kadlec negotiations continuing

If nurses vote to authorize a strike, nursing union officials would still need to declare a strike and determine when it would start and possibly set an end date.

The union is legally required to provide 10-days notice before striking to allow the hospital to make arrangements for patient care, which could include bringing in out-of-town nurses as it did in the last Kadlec nursing strike in 1993.

Friday, Kadlec and negotiators for 915 nurses met for the 15th bargaining session, which was the fifth with a federal mediator. Negotiations started about a year ago.

Both sides said after the Friday negotiating session that they remain committed to continuing to bargain in good faith.

Kadlec said it has provided proposals with compensation that leads the market for an average annual salary of $78,000 and five to seven weeks of paid time off.

Nurses are concerned that after extended illness benefits were eliminated during an early round of negotiations after Kadlec affiliated with Providence Health and Services in 2014, Kadlec is again proposing cuts to paid time off accural for combined holiday, vacation, sick leave and personal days.

Kadlec said it is offering five to seven weeks of paid time off.

Kadlec nurses also want more input into staffing levels that ensure safety for patients and hospital staff.

Another mediation date is being scheduled.