Fight for a fair contract at Valley Medical

Valley Medical Center healthcare workers held an informational picket Wednesday demanding a fair contract, adequate sick leave, and safe staffing

RENTON, WA (September 12, 2024) – More than 2,400 healthcare workers at Valley Medical Center held an informational picket on Wednesday to highlight the urgent need for a contract. The workers, united in SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, are calling for wages that reflect the cost of living, as well as adequate sick leave, benefits protections, and safe staffing levels to ensure quality patient care.

Valley Medical Center is the largest public district hospital in Washington and part of the UW Medicine system; these workers believe they deserve similar benefits and protections as their counterparts at Harborview Medical Center and UW Medical Center-Northwest in Seattle.

Photo: SEIU Healthcare 1199NW via Facebook

“I’ve worked at Valley for 10 years, and it’s changed a lot since I started. I love Valley; the reason why I started working here is because of its reputation as a friendly place to work, with good pay, good benefits, and room to grow. But it’s not the same anymore. Things are expensive now, and I’ve had to pick up extra shifts just to make ends meet,” said Abdul Jibril, a patient care assistant in the float pool. “We’re asking for fair wages and sick leave that matches other UW Medicine hospitals.”

Valley Medical Center workers currently have a sick leave system that leaves many employees without enough hours to take care of their own health or the health of their families, or unable to access existing hours due to restrictions. The union workers’ proposals would align Valley Medical Center’s sick leave system with the rest of UW Medicine.

Photo: SEIU Healthcare 1199NW via Facebook

After 14 bargaining sessions, Valley management continues to reject the union’s comprehensive proposals on sick leave and wages, instead bringing proposals that would roll back existing standards in other areas of the contract and would negatively impact patient care. The workers believe progress at the bargaining table has been insufficient and that Valley’s proposals do not meet the needs of its workforce.

“It’s a moral crisis. Valley Medical Center’s focus on executive compensation, while leaving essential workers without adequate sick leave, puts the well-being of the community at risk,” said SEIU Healthcare 1199NW President, Jane Hopkins, RN. “It is unacceptable that our caregivers are forced to face an impossible choice — between caring for their own health or the care they provide to others. We will raise the alarm until Valley Medical Center comes to the bargaining table prepared to meet the needs of its workers and invest in care.”