Members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana (Calif.) Medical Center have approved a contract that will raise wages by an average 40 percent, according to hospital and union statements shared with Becker's.
The four-year agreement covers about 600 workers at the 245-bed hospital. This includes licensed vocational nurses, nursing assistants, housekeepers, medical technicians and respiratory therapists.
"This contract is going to make our hospital a better place for caregivers and patients," Jonathan Mexicanos, a respiratory therapist at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana, said in a Jan. 24 news release. "We've lost too many good caregivers because they were underpaid and the hospital was understaffed; but now Tarzana should be able to hire more caregivers and keep them here serving our patients."
According to the union, the new contract includes:
- Cost of living raises and higher salary steps that will boost overall wages for members by an average of 40 percent over the life of the contract.
- A $1,500 ratification bonus for full-time workers and $750 for part-time workers.
- Recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday.
- Clearer path for workers to move from part-time status to full-time status.
The hospital praised the agreement and thanked bargaining teams for their work to settle a new deal.
"Our caregivers are exemplary and deserve continued fair wages for the support they provide our care teams and our patients and their families," Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana said in a statement. "Like hospitals nationwide, Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana is recovering from the economic impacts of the pandemic, which include a challenging labor market. We are happy the union accepted our offer as we believe it was fair to the hospital and to our caregivers."
Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana is jointly owned and operated by Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai and Providence, which has system offices in Renton, Wash., and Irvine, Calif. Union members had been in negotiations with the hospital for seven months.