Nurses and caregivers are continuing their three-day strike Jan. 29 at Swedish Medical Center sites in the Seattle area.
The strike of about 7,800 SEIU Healthcare 1199NW members began at 7 a.m. Jan. 28 with pickets, chants and management bringing in outside workers to temporarily replace striking ones, The Seattle Times reports.
Meanwhile, Swedish told media that there were no incidents when striking workers left and replacement workers were brought in.
Hospital officials also reported Jan. 28 that "operations are running smoothly at all of our campuses."
Swedish temporarily closed emergency departments at its Ballard and Redmond campuses and the labor and delivery unit at the Ballard campus and hired tactical security guards with body cameras. It also rescheduled elective surgeries, patient classes and other procedures for much of this week at some campuses.
The strike will end at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 31, but Swedish said contract provisions require a five-day commitment to temporary caregivers. Hospital officials said workers will be called back to their jobs in accordance with contract provisions as work is available.
A "significant number" of union workers reported to work instead of participating in the strike, Swedish said.
The union said "nearly all caregivers are participating in the strike, and the vast majority are walking picket lines at all seven campuses."
The strike comes about 10 months after the union and hospital management began negotiating in April. The union claims healthcare workers have seen hospital management "prioritize profits and executive pay over patients' needs, causing severe care problems, understaffing and turnover."
The union also has complained that equipment is inadequate and security for patients and workers is lacking, according to the Times.
Swedish said it has offered a strong wage and benefits package.
Mona Locke, chief communications officer for Swedish, also told the Times Swedish is working hard to fill about 600 for nurses, in a "tough, tight market." The union estimates Swedish has about 900 vacancies total, including the nurse vacancies.
Read the full Times report here.