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UPMC Washington Hospital workers vote to authorize strike

By Karen Mansfield 3 min read
article image - Observer-Reporter
UPMC Washington Hospital

SEIU health care workers at UPMC Washington Hospital voted Monday to authorize a strike.

The union’s 300 hospital employees voted 95% in favor of authorizing the strike, if necessary.

Two bargaining sessions are planned – one was held Tuesday and another is Thursday – and workers say they hope to reach an agreement and avoid a strike.

“The last thing we want to do is go on strike, but UPMC is not keeping promises they made to us regarding benefits and wages and other issues,” said Marisa Petro, who, along with her husband, Kevin Petro, work as certified central service technicians at UPMC Washington. “We do remain optimistic and are trying to give (UPMC) the benefit of the doubt, and we hope to reach a good and fair agreement that moves everyone forward. But it has been very discouraging for us.”

Monday’s vote came after the union said it failed to reach an agreement with UPMC before the contract expired on Jan. 31.

The workers have been negotiating with UPMC for better wages, and said in a press release that UPMC’s latest proposals include raises that do not keep up with inflation, along with a wide range of deep cuts.

The workers’ jobs include surgical technicians, care partners, physical therapy assistants, dietary aides, housekeepers, carpenters, licensed maintenance workers, master plumbers, and others. Wages for some of those jobs start at $16 an hour, according to the union.

The union said UPMC committed to investing a minimum of $300 million when it merged with Washington Health System in 2024, and wants UPMC to make investments in the hospital and workforce.

The union said UPMC has proposed a range of cuts, including removing cost caps on workers’ health insurance and increasing out-of-pocket costs for one of their health insurance plans; eliminating weekend differential pay; ending overtime pay for shifts over eight hours; increasing health insurance premiums; and eliminating workers’ payscale, which rewards years of service.

The union argues that while Washington workers “have been struggling to make ends meet,” total compensation for UPMC’s top five non-clinical executives increased 47% in one year, during the fiscal years from 2022 to 2023.

A date for a strike has not been set, and the union said workers would provide a 10-day notice to UPMC before going on strike.

A UMPC Washington spokesperson declined comment on negotiations but said the hospital “is well-prepared to care for its patients” in the event of a work stoppage.

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