Nurses at Seattle Children’s hospital have voted to authorize a strike, following about seven months of negotiations that have stalled over higher pay, sick leave and rest and meal breaks.
On Sunday and Monday, the nurses voted to authorize a strike, which means union leaders can call a strike but does not mean one will happen, said Bobbi Nodell, a spokesperson for the Washington State Nurses Association. She declined to disclose percentages for the strike vote, but said the vast majority" of the 2,100 Children's nurses voted to approve the strike.
If nurses do ultimately go on strike, it will be the first time in the hospital’s 118-year history, according to the nurses union.
“I’m disappointed it’s come this far,” Amelia Hillier, a registered nurse who’s worked at Seattle Children’s for almost 10 years, said in an interview after the vote. “There were so many chances the hospital could have taken to step in and give us a fair contract and bargain fairly, and the fact it’s come all the way here is sad.”
A Seattle Children’s spokesperson said in a Monday statement the hospital is dedicated to working with the state nurses union, which is representing Seattle Children’s nurses, to reach a fair agreement as soon as possible.
The current contract, which spanned three years, expired Nov. 21.
“Seattle Children’s is committed to being a leader in total compensation (pay, benefits) in the Puget Sound region and must also prioritize financial stewardship in the face of potentially devastating economic headwinds, including significant federal and state cuts and taxes,” the hospital’s statement said.
Nurses are advocating for higher wages, including premiums for night-shift and behavioral safety nurses, and workplace violence leave.
In an online FAQ, the hospital says Seattle Children’s is a "market leader in total compensation for nurses compared to other health care systems in the Puget Sound region. The average total annual pay for a WSNA-represented nurse working at Seattle Children’s full time (36 hours per week) was $100,822 in 2024, the hospital said.
Yet the nurses union argues the hospital is between 10% and 40% behind other West Coast pediatric hospitals in terms of wages.
In statements and a recent ad in The Seattle Times, Seattle Children’s nurses wrote that they don’t want to strike, but that the past 32 bargaining sessions have been “like nothing the nurses have ever seen.”
Hillier, who voted yes to authorize a strike, said she was particularly frustrated with the hospital’s policies on sick leave and breaks. She currently works in an outpatient rheumatology clinic at the hospital, but previously staffed an inpatient medical unit for years and remembers the toll it took on her physical and mental health.
“Nurses need their breaks,” she said. “They need time to recoup.”
As a founding member of the hospital’s Disability Access Network, Hillier said she’s also aware that many of her co-workers, along with herself, have a disability and might require more frequent medical appointments or accommodations. When she worked in inpatient care, she wasn’t able to get set days off, so often took sick time to attend appointments, she said.
“I had close to zero sick time … for the first six or seven years I worked at Seattle Children’s,” Hillier said. “It’s only been in the past couple years I’ve actually had enough time to take care of myself during a cold or a flare-up of my chronic conditions.”
Seattle Children’s points to ongoing financial strain due to looming cuts in state and federal funding. The hospital has estimated that in 2026, it will lose tens of millions of dollars, partially from reductions in Medicaid payments to the hospital. In September, Seattle Children's announced plans to lay off more than 150 staffers, or about 1.5% of all employees.
“Total compensation for nurses must be balanced with preserving Seattle Children’s ability to care for all children in the region, regardless of their families’ ability to pay,” the hospital said on its online webpage.
The union bargaining team on Monday offered an updated proposal to management, Nodell said. If both sides can’t come to an agreement, nurses plan to issue a 10-day strike notice, she said.
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