A labor strike has been averted, following 400 hospital workers in Springfield approving a new union contract.
An SEIU Local 49 spokesperson says had the McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center workers voted against the contract, a three-day strike would’ve begun tomorrow. They add the agreement means the largest annual wage increases in more than a decade.
Furthermore, the two-year contract creates market rate adjustments for jobs that paid less than those at the nearby PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center.
The vote was held Friday night, September 6th. Union members also negotiated credit for related hospital and military experience, which backers say will help recruit and retain talented workers.
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