After Historic Strike, Healthcare Workers at Cedars-Sinai Ratify Three-Year Agreement

Los Angeles, May 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After participating in the hospital’s first strike in over forty years, healthcare workers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center won their effort to improve patient care and secure a new contract. Workers voted in favor of ratifying a three-year agreement that includes the largest raises ever in their contract history at Cedars-Sinai and addresses safety protocols and wages, the top issues for the frontline healthcare workers.

“This was possible because we as a union stood together to advocate for the safety and well-being of healthcare workers and our patients,” said Jose Sanchez, a lead transporter at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “Reaching an agreement was not easy. But we fought hard for better working conditions, wages, and benefits that reflect the difficult yet vital work we do every day to provide the best care for our patients.” 

The ratified contract includes:

• Improved safety measures, including access to proper personal protective equipment and testing for all workers, and notification of exposures
• Average raises of 17.46% at the end of three years
• Increases minimum wage to $21 per hour by 2024
• Protected healthcare and other benefits 

The three-year contract covers more than 2,000 SEIU-UHW members at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, including clinical partners, transporters, foodservice technicians, environmental services staff, and surgical technicians.

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SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is a healthcare justice union of more than 100,000 healthcare workers, patients, and healthcare activists united to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality care for all Californians, provided by valued and respected healthcare workers. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.

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Tom Parker
Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW)
510-384-6904
tparker@seiu-uhw.org

Source: Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW)