PeaceHealth nurses vote to ratify contract after four months of bargaining
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- PeaceHealth nurses ratified a new contract after four months of negotiations.
- The agreement includes wage hikes, benefit expansions and job protections.
- Union pledged ongoing organizing as contract enforcement begins in June 2025.
PeaceHealth nurses voted to approve their contract with the Bellingham hospital Friday after about four months of bargaining, stalled negotiations and collective concern over wages and health care benefits.
“Our new contract includes important wins — wins that only came because nurses took action,” the union bargaining team said in a news release about the vote. “From historic raises and the elimination of ghost steps to guaranteed pharmacy access and stronger protections for hospice nurses, the new language in this agreement moves us forward. It’s not perfect. No contract is. That’s why we’re not going to stop pushing for more.”
The Washington State Nurses Association represents about 1,100 registered nurses at PeaceHealth. The new contract, including wage and differential raises, will go into full effect on June 1, according to the nurses’ union.
“We are proud of what we accomplished together, and we are already preparing for the next phase: enforcement, implementation, and continued organizing. Our solidarity doesn’t end with this vote — it will grow with every shift we work, every grievance we file, every committee meeting we pack with observers, and every new nurse we bring into our movement,” the union bargaining team said.
Ahead of this contract approval, PeaceHealth nurses made themselves known at several recent Bellingham City Council and Whatcom County Council meetings, wearing blue in solidarity and speaking publicly about their concerns with the biggest employer in Whatcom County.
The Bellingham City Council followed those meetings with a letter to the nurses’ union, the Washington State Nurses Association, saying they understand that a high-quality health care workforce “cannot be sustained without competitive compensation and benefits, improved employee retention, and adequate staffing.”
The council sent a separate letter to PeaceHealth saying they were invested in the hospital’s success “in agreeing to fair and equitable settlements” and “addressing the impact of the rising cost of living on your employees.”
Hundreds of nurses also held an informational picket in front of St. Joseph Medical Center in April, doubling down on the nurses’ biggest concerns related to health benefits, wages and what they were calling a “lack of respect” from management.
The contract ratification comes about two weeks after two other PeaceHealth union-represented employee groups walked off the job to strike amid their own stalled contract negotiations with the hospital. Contract negotiations for those employees remain ongoing.
This story was originally published May 24, 2025 at 10:53 AM.
