Members of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West at Stanford Medical Center and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., have reached a tentative agreement that raises wages and increases the minimum wage.
The three-year agreement is subject to ratification by workers and is expected to pass, according to a Dec. 15 union news release. If approved, the agreement will cover about 2,750 workers between Stanford Hospital, Lucille Packard Children's Hospital and the Byers Eye Institute.
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West said highlights of the agreement include:
- Raising wages by 15 percent over the life of the contract.
- Increasing the hourly minimum wage at the hospitals to $25.
- Allowing workers to use paid time off for mental health reasons.
- Educational reimbursements to help workers pay student loans.
"After nearly three years of this pandemic, we are burnt out and exhausted," Linda Cornell, a unit secretary at Stanford Medical Center, said in a news release. "Worse yet, we are always short-staffed because so many caregivers have left healthcare for better-paying, less stressful jobs somewhere else. This contract shows that Stanford really does value our contribution to patient care and recognizes the financial challenges we face living in this expensive area."
In a statement shared with Becker's, Stanford Health Care said it is pleased with the tentative agreement and that hospital management "worked closely with the union to reach an agreement that our employees can be proud of and support. The agreement reflects our commitment to our employees and recognizes the high-quality care they provide to our patients."