PeaceHealth nurses set picket date for April 29th, Man in custody following high-speed chase through Bellingham, Bellingham Food Bank reports empty shelves amid federal funding cuts, WWU creates new sustainable investment policy, AG’s office defends state’s sanctuary policies amid congressional scrutiny, Bellingham examining alternate options for mandated organic waste bins following complaints, Trump administration launches investigation into OSPI over Clark County pronoun dispute, Whatcom recovery navigator program under threat from federal funding cuts, State lawmaker move forward on bills that would crack down on reckless driving and littering, WCSO petitions county for new office, Free, cheap, and eggs, WSDOT seeking public feedback on updated rail plan
Independent, nonprofit community radio.
KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, April 17th. Good afternoon, I’m ______.
STORY: PeaceHealth nurses set picket date for April 29th
PeaceHealth nurses, represented by the Washington State Nurses Association, have announced an informational picket on April 29th if a contract agreement has not been reached before then.
After three months of contract negotiations, no agreement has been reached. However, both parties will sit down for further mediation today and tomorrow.
Key issues include a proposed insurance plan that nurses say offers less coverage at a higher cost, as well as wage concerns and what nurses describe as a broad sense of disrespect from hospital management.
Kristin Malmo is a labor and delivery nurse at PeaceHealth, where she’s worked for the last ten years. She is also a part of the WSNA board that comprises the bargaining team. Malmo says wages are a key factor.
MALMO audio closer to the ballpark :36
According to Malmo’s numbers, the hospital pays nurses $10-to-$12 less per hour than comparably sized Washington cities, such as Longview and Vancouver. However, wages are not the only issue. A restructuring of
PeaceHealth’s self-insured health care plans for staff has resulted in a large number of nurses losing affordable health care options with their local doctors.
MALMO AUDIO health care hit :15
Nurses have recently spoken out during meetings at both the Bellingham City and Whatcom County councils, and expressed frustration with what they see as declining support from PeaceHealth, which is the largest employer in Whatcom County. Malmo agrees.
MALMO AUDIO nurses demand autonomy :36
In a show of support, the Bellingham City Council unanimously approved a letter on Monday that urged all parties to continue negotiations in good faith, and emphasized the importance of fair compensation, safe staffing levels, and a strong healthcare workforce.
Negotiations are scheduled to resume today and tomorrow. Malmo says union members are committed to the process and are hopeful, but she says local healthcare workers say stronger measures are not off the table.
MALMO AUDIO strike is an option :46
STORY: Man in custody following high-speed chase through Bellingham
A man was booked into the Whatcom County Jail Tuesday night after leading law enforcement officers on a car chase through Bellingham.
County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deb Slater says it all started at 10 p.m., when deputies spotted a vehicle traveling at roughly 100 mph at the intersection of Guide Meridian and Kelly Road.
The driver refused to stop when police tried to pull him over, and instead continued to drive at reckless speeds until stopping in a parking lot at Sequoia Drive. When ordered by deputies to exit the vehicle, the driver refused and threatened them with a gun. Crisis negotiators were called in to assist.
The driver was eventually arrested on suspicion of multiple charges, including felony charges of threat to bomb or injure property and attempting to elude a police vehicle.
STORY: Bellingham Food Bank reports empty shelves amid federal funding cuts
Federal funding has been cut for the Bellingham Food Bank, as part of larger cuts to the USDA by the Trump administration to limit federal spending.
Mike Cohen, the Bellingham Food Bank’s executive director, says they expect to lose 600-to-800 thousand dollars for the year, which they say will greatly impact their ability to support those facing food insecurity in the city.
According to recent reporting, the Food Bank has secured funding from both the Whatcom County and Bellingham City councils, but are still
seeking personal donations and funding at a local level to make up the rest of the lost federal support.
An estimated 5,000 households in Bellingham are currently supported by the Food Bank.
STORY: WWU creates new sustainable investment policy
Western Washington’s Board of Trustees approved a new policy last Friday that provides protocols for directing the university toward quote, “socially responsible investment”, unquote.
The policy, written by WWU’s new Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing, prohibits Western from buying shares or investing in companies linked to weapons production, fossil fuels, human rights violations, and other concerns.
The Advisory Committee was formed last year as part of the agreement to end the two-week encampment protest that took place on campus last May. The protest, driven largely by pro-Palestinian students, ultimately led to a Memorandum of Understanding between university administrators and the WWU Divest Apartheid Coalition, which includes leaders of the campus’s Arab Student Association, Jewish Voice for Peace, and Associated Students organizations.
Assistant professor of anthropology and Advisory Committee member, Natalie Baloy, spoke with KMRE News about the process.
NATALIE: NEGOTIATING :32
Baloy says that, although their work was guided by the Memorandum, there was much to be learned.
NATALIE: LEARNED A LOT :25
Although the hard work of finding a compromise has been successful, Baloy says the work is not yet done.
NATALIE: IMPLEMENTATION :18
The Foundation for WWU and Alumni, a separate entity, is not bound by the current agreement. However, the Memorandum explicitly urges the Foundation, quote, “to work to align its investment activities” with the guidelines.
WWU administrators say they will post the university’s full investment portfolio on the Western website.
WX: Sun-DMC
And now for the weather:
It’s another warm, sunny day for us, with temperatures remaining around the low-to-mid 60s. The skies should remain fairly clear throughout the afternoon and evening. Expect nighttime lows of around 40 degrees.
The clear sun and skies are expected to stick around tomorrow.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Theron (THAIR-in) Danielson, Stevie Sjogren (SHOW-gren) and Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg). Tune in to local news on KMRE weekdays at 3, 4 and 5 p.m. For news tips and feedback, send us an email at news@kmre.org or call 360-398-6150. KMRE is a nonprofit community radio station, powered by your donations. Check out our Patreon page or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thank you for listening.
##
STORY: AG’s office defends state’s sanctuary policies amid congressional scrutiny
STORY: Bellingham examining alternate options for mandated organic waste bins following complaints
STORY: Trump administration launches investigation into OSPI over Clark County pronoun dispute
STORY: Whatcom recovery navigator program under threat from federal funding cuts
STORY: State lawmaker move forward on bills that would crack down on reckless driving and littering
STORY: WCSO petitions county for new office
STORY: Free, cheap, and eggs
STORY: WSDOT seeking public feedback on updated rail plan The Washington State Department of Transportation launched a survey last Tuesday, requesting public feedback on their new plans for its passenger and freight railways.
The goals of these new plans include easing congestion, reducing emissions, improving safety, and strengthening the economy. The plans are expected to inform the next 20 years of rail policy, and support the significant rise in rider numbers over the last few years.
Feedback will be open until June 24th, and the survey can be completed online at the WSDOT website.
Leave a Reply