Pending approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Astria Health and the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) have settled a complaint over the closure of Regional hospital, the Yakima (Wash.) Herald reported. Earlier this year, WSNA filed a complaint against Astria Health, stating that it violated several state and federal laws when it closed Astria Regional Medical Center in Yakima in January. Astria filed for chapter 11 protection in May 2019. In April, Judge Whitman L. Holt agreed to proceed with part of the complaint related to whether Astria Health had violated the federal WARN Act by not abiding by the 60-day notice the law requires. The labor law requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide 60 days advance notice about plant closings and mass layoffs. Holt dismissed the part of the complaint where WSNA asserted that Astria violated the Washington State Payment and Collection Act and the Washington Wage Rebate Act by not quickly paying the nurses for paid time off. In the joint motion filed late last month, WSNA and Astria Health wrote that all parties agreed it was best to settle rather than go through a lengthy and costly process in court. Under the agreement, former Astria Regional Medical Center nurses represented by WSNA would receive a share of a settlement payment from Astria Health. The two parties declined to reveal the exact amount of the payment.
