RICHLAND, Wash.-Kadlec healthcare workers have voted to ratify a new three-year contract with Providence Swedish.
According to SEIU Healthcare 1199, the union for nurses and healthcare employees, workers at Kadlec in Richland and the freestanding emergency room in Kennewick, reached an agreement on Oct. 19 and ratified the contract by vote on Oct. 23-24.
“Winning this contract took more than just bargaining — it took months of organizing, taking action inside and outside the hospital, and, ultimately, a strike to get what we deserve,” said Billy Haley, an electrophysiology technician at Kadlec and member of the union bargaining team.
Under the new contract new wage scales for tech and service job classes will be implemented on Dec. 1, 2024, with tech workers seeing a minimum of 8.25 percent wage increases over the next three years and service workers getting a minimum of $3.25/hour increases, according to SEIU.
The contract also ensures workers’ voices are heard regarding decisions that affect medical benefits, meal and rest periods; a hospital-wide staffing committee; and no cuts to their current contract, according to an SEIU press release.
“We fought for wages that keep pace with the cost of living in the Tri-Cities, and staffing levels that will make sure we can care for our patients safely,” said Ramona Chalmers, a certified nursing assistant and member of the union bargaining team.
