Not all nurses and caregivers striking at Swedish Medical Center sites in the Seattle area will return to work at the same time, The Seattle Times reports.
The strike of about 7,800 SEIU Healthcare 1199NW members began at 7 a.m. Jan. 28 and is scheduled to end at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 31. However, the workers reportedly have cited some confusion about who can return to work on Jan. 31 as the strike nears its end.
Robin Wyss, union secretary and treasurer, told the Times workers usually receive their schedules several weeks in advance, but they're unsure whether they'll be able to return to work Jan. 31.
Swedish brought in temporary workers to replace striking ones. Hospital officials said contract provisions require a five-day commitment to temporary caregivers, and Swedish workers will be called back to their jobs in accordance with contract provisions as work is available.
"It's all happening very fluidly, but everyone who will be called back will be notified before Friday," Swedish spokesperson Tiffany Moss told the Times. "We will call people back as needed."
A hospital statement obtained by the newspaper says striking employees who were scheduled to work between the morning of Jan. 31 and the morning of Feb. 2 "may be called back based on patient care needs."
"Unless called back earlier by Swedish, and to ensure an orderly return to work, employees who choose to strike should not report back to work until 7 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2 (if scheduled to work at that time), or the start time of their next shift after that date and time," the statement said.
Union members told the Times they want to be back at their jobs as soon as they can.
A union statement cited by the newspaper added: "As this is an unfair labor practice strike, locking out workers would be illegal, because union members made an unconditional offer to return to work after the strike at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning."
In an update sent to media on Jan. 29, Swedish said there were no serious incidents to report and that operations have continued.
Swedish temporarily closed emergency departments at its Ballard and Redmond campuses and the labor and delivery unit at the Ballard campus during the strike. It also hired tactical security guards with body cameras, has been rescheduling non-emergent and elective surgeries, and consolidated some services/ operations that have been moved from Issaquah to other sites.