Yakima (Wash.) Valley Memorial Hospital employees plan to hold an informational picket Friday afternoon, according to a Yakima Herald report.
The picket was organized by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW. The union represents more than 500 service workers at the hospital, including janitors, nursing assistants, physical therapy aides and transporters, among other positions, according to the report.
Yakima Valley Memorial announced in October it would seek to partner with a larger system to help the hospital through challenges like Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement cuts and the high costs of health IT.
The union says the hospital is focusing on a possible affiliation and "continues to stall on contract negotiations for healthcare workers," according to the report. The two parties are attempting to come to a contract agreement, with compensation as a main issue of contention.
The hospital posted a statement about the picket to its website. "We are confident that we will reach an agreement with the union," Yakima Valley Memorial CEO Russ Myers said in the statement. "We have offered a fair pay plan with increases and bonuses commensurate with those received by other Memorial employees, and we remain committed to our employees and our community."
Union members are expected to picket between 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. PDT, according to the Yakima Herald report.
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