Workers at Portland, Ore.-based Legacy Health ratified a contract agreement with management Monday night.
The labor deal, which averts a planned 48-hour strike, covers workers represented by Service Employees International Union Local 49 at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel, and the Unity Center for Behavioral Health, all in Portland. The union members include certified nursing assistants, emergency department technicians, central sterile employees, food and nutrition workers and others.
In an email to Becker's, the union said the three-year contract agreement was ratified in a vote of 238-31.
According to SEIU Local 49, the labor deal includes "improved access to financial assistance to cover healthcare costs, including the addition of a full-time financial counselor that will assist SEIU members in navigating heir healthcare benefits, finding in-network care, and applying for financial assistance." The union said it also garnered a 7.75 percent pay increase over the contract's duration, along with a $1.10 per hour longevity differential for experienced workers, and measures aimed at improved workplace safety at the Unity Center.
Legacy Health expressed pleasure that a labor deal was reached.
"There were areas of natural agreement, such as offering personalized financial assistance for employees with questions or concerns about their expenses. We also maintain several of the features of our employee health plan that exist today that are well-aligned with the ACA," said Brian Terrett, director of public and community relations at Legacy Health.
Both sides have been in negotiations for months. Last month, SEIU Local 49 announced plans to strike Nov. 8 and 9.
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