Strike by Providence St. Peter nurses on hold following overnight talks

By Abby Spegman

The Olympian

The possibility of a strike by nurses at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia was on hold Friday following overnight talks with hospital management.

Providence St. Peter nurses are represented by UFCW 21, which has been working with unions representing nurses and workers at Swedish Medical Center and other Providence hospitals across the state in negotiations.

Providence St. Peter nurses voted in October to authorize a strike. The unions had scheduled press conferences for Friday to announce plans for a strike that would have involved 13,000 workers across the state, including nurses at Providence St. Peter.

Instead, they planned to discuss concerns about patient safety.

“All three unions have committed to ongoing negotiations in the coming days,” SEIU Healthcare 1199NW said in a news release.

SEIU Healthcare 1199NW said Providence has withdrawn proposals that would have reduced paid time off and medical benefits.