Members of Kadlec Regional Medical Center’s nurses union will provide information about their top concerns in ongoing contract negotiations during an informational picket on Jan. 26. 

Nurses with the Washington State Nurses Association will line the sidewalks near the Richland hospital and be stationed in the Doris Roberts Gallery at the nearby Richland Public Library from 8:30-10:30 a.m., according to a release. Community members are encouraged to attend and learn more about their concerns, which range from staffing levels and break relief to workplace safety and wages. 

Nurses will continue to work their assigned shifts at Kadlec during the informational picket. “An informational picket is not a strike,” said Franklin Alvarez, a Kadlec registered nurse and member of the contract bargaining team. “Nurses will continue to work their scheduled shifts and will gather outside of work hours to share information with the public about how working conditions affect patient care.” 

The hospital, owned and operated by Renton-based Providence Health & Services, has been in contract negotiations with its nurses since September 2025. There has been constructive dialogue and progress, Kadlec said in a statement, but significant issues remain unresolved. 

“While we respect our nurses’ right to engage in informational picketing, we are disappointed they have chosen to do so, as we believe the best place to resolve outstanding issues is at the bargaining table, through open discussion and good-faith negotiations,” the statement said, adding that hospital leaders “remain fully committed to reaching a fair agreement that supports our nurses while also ensuring we can continue to provide safe, high-quality, and reliable care to those who depend on us.” 

More than 1,200 nurses work for Kadlec, according to the 2025 Book of Lists published by the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, and it has an operating budget of $913 million. 

Providence cut hundreds of jobs across its system in 2025 in response to budget constraints, particularly the federal government cutting subsidies for Medicare and Medicaid.