Providence nurses picket in front of the hospital during the first day of their planned five-day strike Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Providence nurses picket in front of the hospital during the first day of their planned five-day strike Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Months after strike, nurses reach contract with Providence Everett

The new contract, 10 months in the making, includes bonuses and extra pay to counterbalance chronic understaffing.

EVERETT — After months of tense negotiations, nurses at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett have approved a contract with the hospital, the nurses’ union announced Wednesday.

An “overwhelming majority” of about 1,300 nurses approved the contract in a vote held at the hospital’s Pacific Campus this week, according to a union statement. The contract comes after 10 months of negotiations, a five-day strike and a tentative deal that failed in December, with 51.8% of nurses voting against.

The approved contract will provide nurses a 21.5% pay increase over three years, increased benefits and compensation for chronic understaffing. Terms will ensure pay comparable with other hospitals in the region by requiring Providence to review and adjust its wages each year to align with market wages.

“This victory includes groundbreaking contract language aimed at helping staffing challenges,” the union statement reads. “From the outset of negotiations, our primary focus has been to tackle the pressing issues of staffing shortages and patient safety concerns head-on.”

In a statement, Providence said it was “proud of the bargaining teams’ hard work to negotiate and deliver a fair contract for our nurses.”

“We look forward to working with UFCW to ensure our patients and community continue to have access to the high-quality care PRMCE is known for,” the hospital’s statement read.

Providence Everett has lost more than 600 nurses since 2019, forcing the hospital to shut down 100 beds. The hospital hired some nurses back, Chief Nursing Officer Michelle Lundstrom said in October, but “in a perfect world” should have about 400 more. The understaffing is partly due to a nationwide nurse shortage, Lundstrom said, and there is no easy solution.

With the new contract, nurses will receive a $500 monthly bonus when their shifts are understaffed. For staffing issues that extend over at least three months, the contract requires the hospital and nurses’ union to meet with a mediator. The hospital’s staffing committee, made of at least 50% nurses, will then consider the mediator’s suggestions.

The contract also requires the staffing committee to approve changes to the hospital’s staffing and care model.

In response to staffing challenges, Providence has begun shifting its hospital system, with more than 50 locations nationwide, toward a care model that distributes more work to assistant nurses and virtual nurses, requiring fewer registered nurses on staff. Everett nurses have pushed against this model, saying it hasn’t helped staffing issues but instead puts a dangerous workload on staff.

On Nov. 14, nurses walked off the job to picket the hospital for five days. Striking nurses said the hospital had not kept to its agreed upon staffing plans, leading to an exhausted staff and endangered patients. At that time, the hospital had rejected nurses’ ask for higher pay on understaffed shifts.

“The strike was grueling and humiliating,” nurse Aaron Warnock said Tuesday. “But it was done for the hope of a robust, comprehensive and competitive deal.”

In December, nurses voted against the first potential contract because it didn’t have strong enough language to keep the hospital accountable to its staffing plans, according to the union.

Warnock said he thought the deal failed because it was rushed after the strike ended.

“I feel like we weren’t given enough time to read and consider the contract,” he said. “Nurses were voting on recommendations by hearsay rather than coming to their own conclusions.”

On Feb. 9, nurses and management reached their second tentative agreement. The union negotiated more changes to the contract based on input from a nurse survey.

“The second deal is much better, it is much more concise,” Warnock said. And “it provides a retention bonus for all nurses rather than just nurses who start a few years later.”

The contract includes other perks such as higher pay during overnight shifts, a $1,000 bonus to all registered nurses, and administrative pay for the staffing committee chairs.

Contract terms expire on Oct. 30, 2026. Negotiations to update the contract may begin as early as March. 31, 2026.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated when contract terms expire.

Sydney Jackson: 425-339-3430; sydney.jackson@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @_sydneyajackson.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Alina Langbehn, 6, center, and Vera A., 6, right, sit on a swing together at Drew Nielsen Neighborhood Park after school on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council votes to renovate Drew Nielsen Park

Construction on the $345,000 upgrade could start as early as this fall.

Northshore School District bus driver Stewart O’Leary pictured next to his buses shattered drivers side windshield on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Put me in, coach’: Bus driver back at work after struck by metal bar

Stewart O’Leary, a Northshore employee, has received national attention for his composure during a frightening bus trip.

Lynnwood councilor Joshua Binda speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Does the Lynnwood Council VP live in Lynnwood? It’s hard to say.

Josh Binda’s residency has been called into question following an eviction and FEC filings listing an Everett address. He insists he lives in Lynnwood.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

An American Robin picks a berry from a holly tree on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Calling all birders for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count

The Audubon Society will hold its 28th annual Great Backyard… Continue reading

A view of one of the potential locations of the new Aquasox stadium on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. The site sits between Hewitt Avenue, Broadway, Pacific Avenue and the railroad. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Initial prep work for AquaSox stadium to start, with $200k price tag

The temporary agreement allows some surveying and design work as the city negotiates contracts with designers and builders.

Aaron Kennedy / The Herald
The Joann Fabric and Crafts store at 7601 Evergreen Way, Everett, is one of three stores in Snohomish County that will close as part of the retailer’s larger plan to shutter more than half of its stores nationwide.
Joann store closure plan includes Everett, Arlington, Lynnwood locations

The retail giant filed a motion in court to close approximately 500 stores in the U.S.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.