A Seattle hospital system shuttered two emergency rooms after thousands of its staff members refused to show up to work as part of a strike over concerns about chronic short-staffing and wages.
On Tuesday, employees filled the sidewalks outside of hospitals in the Swedish Medical Center system carrying signs with captions such as “patients before profits” and “united for our patients.” The strike will last three days, during which two of seven emergency rooms in the system have been closed to new patients.
Susan Walker, a nurse frustrated with staffing issues, told ABC News, “We have to come in on our days off constantly to take care of patients. It’s very disruptive to your life, but you feel sorry for your coworkers, so you bite the bullet and come in.”
Dr. Guy Hudson, chief executive for the hospital chain, was disappointed that the nurses union, SEIU Local 1199NW, chose to strike despite being offered an improved benefits package and a raise of 11.25% over four years.
“Safe patient care is our No. 1 priority,” Hudson explained. “As it has for 110 years, Swedish will continue to provide high-quality, compassionate care to patients and their families, even during the strike.”
In the Swedish Medical Center system, 11% of caregiver positions are unfilled, which is reflective of a larger nationwide nursing shortage. Some of the nurses argued that patient care is suffering because the staff is stretched thin.
Patients in need of emergency care or pregnant mothers nearing labor have been redirected to the five emergency rooms that remained open during the strike.
