Providence Swedish workers latest to land big pay raises with new contract
Nurses and other workers with Providence Swedish hospitals are among the latest to win big raises as health care unions wield heightened bargaining power amid costly staff shortages.
Last week, a vast majority of the 7,000 nurses and health care workers at Swedish Medical Center and Swedish Edmonds, represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, voted to ratify a new contract. It calls for 21.5% raises over two years, market adjustments and retention bonuses.
The new deal came one year ahead of schedule — a drastic acceleration of pre-pandemic negotiations, which often stalled for months on end.
“With staffing levels being as dangerous as they are, both our union and Providence Swedish knew that equitable wage increases and incentives couldn’t wait until the next contract,” union president and registered nurse Jane Hopkins said in a news release. "We stayed true to our values, and we secured a historic economic package that will both keep healthcare workers at Providence Swedish, and recruit new workers.”
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2022/09/27/providence-swedish-union-deal.html
