RICHLAND, Wash.-The 1,100 healthcare and service technical workers returned to work at Kadlec on Aug. 27 after a seven-day unfair labor practices strike.
“I feel like they saw us and they heard us, but I really hope that they heard us,” said Blanca Hinojosa, a Pharmacy Technician returning to work.
The workers of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW at Kadlec in Richland and the Freestanding Emergency Room in Kennewick officially ended their strike and returned to work at 6 a.m.
“We are excited to get back to our daily work lives with our patients,” said Hinojosa. “The work that we do, we value our work, we do care for our people and we’re just ready to get back to work and hopefully this strike showed we are valued and needed.”
As service and technical workers return to work a tentative agreement for both sides to return to the bargaining table is set for Sept, according to Hinojosa.
SEIU and Kadlec have been working since Jan. 2023 on creating a new contract, with Kadlec alleging that SEIU is pushing for an average wage increase of over 40 percent, much above the 16 percent it says it is offering with more increases across the contract.
“Our offer is fair and market competitive for all represented positions,” Kadlec said in a statement issued during the strike. “SEIU continues to propose an average wage increase of more than double that amount, plus additional increases over the remainder of the three-year contract. That is far above what other employers pay for the same jobs across Eastern Washington.”
