RICHLAND, Wash. – SEIU plans to file an unfair labor practice lawsuit against Kadlec on August 27th in response to Kadlec not allowing union reps and workers who weren’t on shift into the building, according to SEIU President Jane Hopkins.
“Workers can go into the hospital any time before the strike, and now they’re just telling them you can just go in when it’s your shift,” Hopkins said. “We see that as a form of retaliation and intimidation as well.”
The Kadlec strike ended this morning when over 1,100 healthcare and service technicians returned to work.
Hopkins says she followed all the correct procedures before today and notified Kadlec the strike would be over this morning.
The three-year contract for SEIU workers at Kadlec expired at the end of 2023 and workers have not received a pay increase this year.
“So we just continue to help them understand. And we’re not here to destroy them. We’re not here to make sure that they are bankrupt, we are just here to make sure that they are fair to us as we do the work to look after patients,” Hopkins said.
The union and Kadlec have been negotiating since January this year, but nothing has come from it. According to Hopkins, September 16th, 17th, and 18th is the next time both parties will try to work together to renegotiate a new contract.
Kadlec sent non-stop local a press release in response to the plans of an unfair labor practice lawsuit.
