The union, which represents about 125 building trades and supply chain employees at the medical center, allege that UChicago engaged in unfair labor practices in May and June. A hospital spokesperson said the organization “remains committed to bargaining in good faith with SEIU and working with a federal mediator.”
For more than six months, the hospital and union have been negotiating about workers’ wages and benefits, according to a July 3 news release from SEIU Local 73. The union says current wages are not consistent with inflation.
The workers include painters, carpenters, building engineers, grounds crews and supply chain specialists, the hospital spokesperson said.
“No one benefits from a strike, and we are disappointed by SEIU Local 73’s decision,” the spokesperson told Becker’s, adding that the strike will not impact care as it engages replacement workers to fill in.
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