The union representing more than 1,700 hospital service and tech workers at Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth facilities in Washington and Oregon reached a preliminary agreement with health system management.
The workers, who are represented by the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, are lab technicians at PeaceHealth St. John, technicians at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart, and technicians and maintenance workers at PeaceHealth Southwest. The agreement comes after almost a year of discussions and a strike lasting five days in October, according to a Nov. 30 news release from the union.
The workers sought increased wages and greater influence in their workplaces. The agreement includes a minimum 20% raise for Southwest and St. John employees over four years, with certain individuals receiving up to a 55% raise.
At Sacred Heart, selected workers will receive a 37% raise over three years, with the majority receiving a 20% increase.
The union also said workers have now secured safeguards against disciplinary actions and the establishment of a committee to address the challenge of systemic understaffing.
A spokesperson for two Washington PeaceHealth facilities lauded their respective negotiating teams, Fox affiliate KPTV reported Nov. 30.
"Together with the union, we worked hard to reach three separate agreements that our caregivers can be proud of and support, and we look forward to the outcome of the vote," the spokesperson told the news outlet, referring to union members' voting process to ratify the contract.