After a three and a half month strike, 1199NW members at Cascade Behavioral Health in Tukwila, Wash., reached a tentative contract agreement with management after being forced to strike due to unsafe working conditions and a lack of safe staffing. The deal addresses core safety demands, including the hiring of dedicated security staff. Under this agreement, all frontline safety strikers will be guaranteed job protection and the right to return to work on Monday, Nov. 8. Members will vote to ratify the contract on Tuesday, November 9.
Lidia Abushet, a licensed practical nurse, said, “Most of the safety strikers, like me, were women, many of whom are also immigrants and workers of color. We stuck together through our union, got support from our communities, and are so proud of what we’ve achieved. Today, we celebrate the power of having a unified voice as members of our union, which has led to the advancement of safety standards for patients and frontline caregivers.”
- Read more in the Renton Reporter.
- Read SEIU 1199NW’s statement here.
