Workers at Lincoln City, Ore.-based Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, who are members of SEIU Local 49, voted to approve a new contract with pay raises.
The agreement covers 115 union members, including emergency room techs, pharmacy techs, certified nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, radiologic technologists, surgical techs, phlebotomists, social workers and operating room custodians.
"This has been a long two years of dealing with the pandemic and the impact of the wildfires on our community. We knew that we had to see real gains in the contract to be able to attract and retain highly skilled caregivers to provide the quality care that our community deserves," Brittany King, CT special imaging tech, said in a June 27 news release.
According to the union, the average wage increase over the three-year contract is 22.48 percent, with an average 10 percent increase the first year, or an average hourly raise of $2.42. SEIU Local 49 also said the contract guarantees health insurance premiums and "a stronger voice on the job so we can advocate for better staffing."
Lesley Ogden, MD, CEO of Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, praised the deal, which was reached June 16 and ratified the following week.
"The contract includes selective wage adjustments on numerous job classifications as well as across the board annual increases for approximately 115 employees over the next three years," Dr. Ogden said in a statement shared with Becker's. "I greatly appreciate the hard work from both sides to get this contract in place for the Samaritan North Lincoln employees so they can begin receiving their much-deserved pay increases."