Service Employees International Union 1199NW has reached contract agreements with Valley Hospital in Spokane Valley, Wash., and Deaconess Hospital in Spokane, Wash., according to a report by The Spokesman-Review.
The union represents technical workers at both hospitals and registered nurses at Valley Hospital. Both hospitals are owned by Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems.
Negotiations between the hospitals and SEIU went on for 20 months, according to the report, and were often contentious, with the workers going on a one-day strike in December 2013. One of the main sticking points was staffing issues.
The new contract includes language allowing guaranteed days off for workers regardless of patient levels, and charge nurses can call in more workers if patient levels go up, according to the report. Additionally, all workers will receive a pay increase and will get first-day sick pay.
"We are very, very glad to put this negotiation behind us," Greg Repetti, interim CEO of Valley Hospital, told The Spokesman-Review. "I think we finally came to a good mutual agreement with our employees."