'Last-ditch effort:' St. Michael nurses say time is running out to come to terms on contract
SILVERDALE — Kim McMillian, a nurse at St. Michael Medical Center, felt encouraged and invigorated seeing an outpouring of community support at a nurses' informational picket on Thursday.
Over 200 nurses represented by UFCW 3000 took to the street to participate in the event as negotiations of their contract, set to expire on May 31, continue.
"What do we want? A fair contract. When do we want it? Now." The crowd shouted at a sidewalk on Ridgetop Boulevard and Myhre Road. The nurses, some with their family members, lifted signs, shouted slogans, and walked along the sidewalk to attract the attention of passersby and drivers.
Some cars honked when driving by the group, opening the car window to gesture and show their support to the nurses.
"Look at all these people...it's incredible," said McMillian, who's also a member of the UFCW 3000 bargaining team, though she and other nurses at St. Michael are still worried about what they say is a lack of concern by management of the working conditions of nurses.
Ongoing negotiations
According to the nurses, main areas of concern that haven't yet been addressed in ongoing negotiations are what they call "safer staffing standards" in every department that governs the nurse-to-patient ratio, strong public health preparedness for the next emergency, and competitive wages to retain and recruit high-quality staff, the union said in a statement announcing the launch of the informational picket.
A recent round of negotiations on Monday and Tuesday failed to address the nurses’ demands, they said. There is one more session scheduled for next week, according to the UFCW 3000.
More: Contract negotiations grind on for nurses at St. Michael Medical Center. What's next?
"If that does not go well, then the nurses are planning to continue the work to prepare for a ULP (Unfair Labor Practices) strike if necessary to achieve what it needed," said Tom Geiger, special projects director at UFCW 3000.
"At this point, I feel like this is our last-ditch effort," McMillian said. "We came out here to get this information to the community to ask for their help. Please, support your nurses to be able to support and care for you."
The last thing nurses want to do is not be able to take care of their patients, McMillian said, but the nurses felt like it is such an "unsafe and untenable situation" to not be able to resolve the issues, and that a strike could be the next step, she said.
St. Michael management said in a statement to the Kitsap Sun that they were aware of the picket and that they respect the collective bargaining process.
“Our registered nurses at St. Michael Medical Center are a crucial part of our hospital and our community. We are committed to providing a quality work environment as well as a competitive contract that attracts and retains our dedicated employees," said Chad Melton, the president of St. Michael Medical Center, in the statement.
Melton said the facility will remain open as usual to serve its patients and provide uninterrupted and quality care.
Reach breaking news reporter Peiyu Lin at pei-yu.lin@kitsapsun.com or on Twitter @peiyulintw.
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This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: St. Michael nurses say time is running out to come to terms on contract
