Healthcare workers at Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center nearly unanimously ratified their first contract agreement following months of negotiations.
The contract covers 900 service unit members represented by the American Federation of Teachers. It includes a pay increase of at least 7 percent over the next two years, with an average increase of more than 9.5 percent, union officials said in a news release. The contract also addressed collection practices regarding hospital employees' medical expenses.
Certified nursing assistant Tyler Carr said, "I'm proud of what we were able to accomplish with our first union contract. By bargaining for things like a living wage and improved job security, I feel like we have really improved the lives of everyone who works here at PHSW. This will have a positive impact on not only me and my colleagues, but also everyone who comes into our hospital to receive care."
PHSW spoke positively of the workers in a statement to The Columbian.
"We respect and value each and every one of our caregivers at PeaceHealth. We especially appreciate that, throughout this process, our caregivers' focus remained on our deeply held commitment to providing quality and compassionate care to the people in our southwest Washington communities," said Debra Miller, PeaceHealth system vice president of labor and caregiver relations. "As we move forward together, our focus remains on working with each and every one of our caregivers to ensure our PeaceHealth facilities in Vancouver are not only the best places to get care, but the best places to give care."