About 100 members of the Service Employees International Union Local 49 rallied Wednesday outside PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview, Wash., over the healthcare benefits in a contract currently being negotiated between Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth and the union, according to a report by The Columbian.
The current contract expires at the end of September. There have already been four bargaining sessions, and more are scheduled in the upcoming weeks, according to the report.
Currently, the system's proposed contract includes a 1 percent wage increase in years two and three of the contract, but the healthcare plan included in the contract would increase costs to employees, according to the report.
A PeaceHealth spokesperson told The Columbian the union and the system have agreed to not discuss the negotiations publically.
More Articles on Hospitals and Unions:
Hospitals and Unions: 7 Recent Developments
NLRB: The Memorial Hospital of Salem County's Dress Code Changes Violated Labor Laws
Unions Blast Lawrence + Memorial Hospital Layoffs as Unnecessary