Nurses at Harborview Medical Center protest wage proposal

About 200 nurses and other union health-care workers from Harborview Medical Center rallied Thursday amid contract negotiations to protest a wage proposal from the hospital.

"We make considerably less than all the other hospitals in the region," said Sunniva Zaratkiewicz, a registered nurse and member of the bargaining team for SEIU 1199NW, the union that represents nurses, social workers, medical technicians, advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants at Harborview.

She said the result is high turnover.

"If we don't have experienced, quality nurses, what's going to happen if there's a natural disaster?"

Susan Gregg-Hanson, a Harborview spokeswoman, said the hospital's latest offer includes increases of at least 10 percent over the contract term and is "quite competitive with similar positions in other health-care organizations."

But Zaratkiewicz countered that the offer reduces overtime pay and, overall, leaves wages below those at other hospitals.

Gregg-Hanson said Harborview is "very interested" in reaching an agreement.

Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 or costrom@seattletimes.com