More than 1,000 nurses at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington took their staffing dispute public Tuesday, holding a community picket outside the facility operated by MultiCare Health System. The 1,039 registered nurses, represented by the Washington State Nurses Association, say management proposals at the bargaining table would worsen already strained staffing conditions at one of the busiest emergency departments in the country.
"Good Samaritan's ED is the fourth-busiest in the nation," said a WSNA spokesperson in a Tuesday statement. "Nurses are telling management that current staffing is unsustainable — and management's response has been to propose changes that would make it worse." The picket, held outside the Puyallup campus, was designed to inform the public about where negotiations stand ahead of the next round of bargaining sessions.
What Nurses Are Fighting For
The core issues center on staffing levels in high-acuity units and what nurses describe as disrespect during negotiations, including racial justice concerns raised by nurses of color at the table. WSNA has not released a specific list of contract demands, but the union has made clear that staffing guarantees are the central issue.
Good Samaritan Hospital is a 286-bed acute care facility serving Pierce County, south of Seattle. The hospital's emergency department volume makes it one of the highest-traffic EDs in Washington state, putting pressure on staffing ratios that nurses say are already running thin. Washington state implemented a hospital staffing plan submission requirement in 2023 under HB 1357, but the law stopped short of mandating specific nurse-to-patient ratios.
Part of a Broader 2026 Pattern
The Good Samaritan picket is the latest in a year that has seen unusually high labor action in healthcare. As of late May 2026, at least 30 nurse strikes have occurred nationally and more than 94 hospitals have been affected, according to tracking from Nurse.org — a pace that exceeds any prior year on record. Actions have ranged from one-day informational strikes to open-ended walkouts, including the ongoing Kaiser Permanente UNAC/UHCP action that began in late January 2026 and involves more than 31,000 nurses in California and Hawaii.
In Washington state specifically, WSNA has been active across multiple systems. The organization's leverage comes partly from Washington's strong union labor laws and the state's history of nurse organizing. Washington travel nurse pay — averaging $114,542/year posted — is the highest in the nation, reflecting the ongoing competition for RN talent in a state where hospital systems are struggling to staff existing beds.
What Happens Next
WSNA indicated that bargaining with MultiCare management is ongoing. A picket is a public pressure tactic short of a strike — nurses work their scheduled shifts and gather outside to signal community support and management attention. If negotiations break down further, the union can call for a formal strike authorization vote, which would require majority support from the bargaining unit.
For nurses considering Washington travel contracts or permanent positions at MultiCare facilities, labor actions at Good Samaritan signal that staffing and compensation remain live disputes that could affect assignment availability and contract structures in the near term.
Travel Nursing Context for Washington State
Washington state is the top-paying state in the nation for travel nurses, with posted wages averaging $114,542/year — the highest state-level travel nurse average in the country according to ZipRecruiter 2026 data. That premium reflects a persistent gap between the nursing staff that Pacific Northwest health systems can recruit and retain versus what they need to operate safely. Washington's 2023 HB 1357 staffing planning requirement gives nurses formal mechanisms to document and report unsafe staffing, creating a paper trail that unions like WSNA leverage during contract negotiations.
MultiCare Health System operates Good Samaritan and eight other hospitals across Washington, as well as clinics and urgent care facilities in Pierce and King Counties. The system is one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in the Pacific Northwest. Labor actions at MultiCare facilities have historically followed a pattern of picketing and informational strikes before reaching resolution, though WSNA has called formal strikes at other systems when management proposals remain unacceptable.
For nurses currently on assignment in Pierce County or considering Washington contracts: labor actions at Good Samaritan do not automatically affect other MultiCare facilities, and agency nurses brought in during a formal strike — as opposed to an informational picket — would be considered strike replacements. That designation comes with legal, professional, and ethical implications worth evaluating carefully before accepting such placements. Review the travel nurse contract red flags guide if you are assessing a contract at a facility with active labor disputes.
The pattern at Good Samaritan is part of a broader 2026 surge in nursing labor action. The year has seen at least 30 nurse strikes nationally, with 94+ hospitals affected. That scale reflects the accumulated tension between health system cost pressures, persistent staffing shortages, and nurses who have watched post-pandemic burnout and unsafe conditions go unaddressed for too long. Pickets like Tuesday's action are the early warning sign before a formal strike vote — when management doesn't change course, they often escalate.