Bargaining on pause as five-day PeaceHealth strike nears end in Bellingham
By day four of a planned five-day worker strike at PeaceHealth on Thursday, contract bargaining had not moved, as nurses from the hospital joined in picketing alongside their colleagues.
About 1,000 workers currently on strike include Certified Nursing Assistants, housekeeping workers, phlebotomists, imaging technicians and other essential hospital staff represented by the Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199NW, along with advanced care providers represented by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD).
About 1,100 PeaceHealth nurses represented by the Washington State Nurses Association are also in contract negotiations with the hospital, but are not currently on strike. Hundreds of nurses held their first informational picket outside the hospital in April.
“We’re the inner workings, and a lot of times, we get forgotten because while we are patient-facing, sometimes the nurses get seen first,” said PeaceHealth biomed technician Ashlie Hill from the picket line Thursday. “The nurses coming out is a big move because while they’re in negotiations, they’re at risk by showing their love for us.”
The health care workers walked off the job May 12, demanding higher wages. It’s the second time in 10 years that SEIU PeaceHealth employees have gone on strike, both times voicing similar concerns related to wages and health care benefits.
“It’s very unfortunate that we are doing this all over again. I didn’t expect this,” PeaceHealth pharmacy technician Eva Mohorovich told The Herald. “We really expected them to come back with something tangible, and that’s just not happening. Our workers need better wages.”
Mohorovich has worked at the hospital for 15 years and helped unite her colleagues under her union, SEIU. She said many of her colleagues on strike struggle to afford basic needs like food and housing.
“The cost of living in Bellingham has skyrocketed over the past few years. People can’t even afford to live here,” Mohorovich said. “Sadly, some of our coworkers live in their cars. That is just so disheartening. There is a huge disconnect between what PeaceHealth administrators deem as livable and how we are living.”
PeaceHealth has a food pantry that is largely stocked by hospital employees, Mohorovich said. That food pantry has moved to the picket line this week to support employees who need assistance.
“For the most part, the caregivers who work in the hospital stock this food pantry,” Mohorovich said. “And the people who work here take it. It’s constantly empty. We fill it, it’s empty. So you know there’s a need. People just can’t afford food and housing.”
PeaceHealth representatives told The Herald that while they respect the rights of caregivers to engage in lawful activities, they are “deeply disappointed” that the unions decided to strike, saying the hospital is offering its workers a “competitive compensation package.”
“Under our current wage proposal to SEIU, caregivers would receive wage increases ranging from 15% to 36% over the four-year contract. Similarly, our current proposal to our advanced practice clinicians would provide market-based increases of up to 10% in the first year and maintain top of market positioning for that group of providers,” PeaceHealth Northwest Network Senior Director of Marketing and Communication Amy Drury previously told The Herald.
Health care workers on the picket line said these increases simply won’t cut it.
“It’s smoke and mirrors with them,” Hill said. “To say, as a blanket statement, that they’re offering us competitive wages is just a lie. They are showing some units some love with market adjustments that make sense, but overall, they’re not. They’re leaving our most vulnerable behind, and we’re not going to do it. We’re just not going to agree to that.”
Bargaining is currently on pause while the workers remain on strike. PeaceHealth employees said they hope to reach a fair agreement with the hospital so they can ratify their contract and get back to work.
“We are so thankful the community is backing us up,” Mohorovich said. “We’re the ones that take care of them — not the administration, not the higher-ups, not the executives. Everybody out here takes care of patients and our community.”
This story was originally published May 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
