FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
April 17, 2023

OAKLAND, Calif. – More than 18,000 healthcare workers at over 40 Dignity Health facilities across California ratified an agreement this week that raises wages by 18% over the next four years, increases the minimum wage throughout the system to $21 per hour by 2024, and implements several improvements to benefits and working conditions.

While healthcare workers across the country have been leaving the industry in droves since the pandemic, this agreement at Dignity marks a strong commitment to attracting and retaining good healthcare workers in the communities Dignity serves.

“After three years of the pandemic, we are burnt out and exhausted,” said Denese Owen, a surgical technician at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff. “Worse yet, we are always short-staffed because so many caregivers have left our hospital for better-paying, less stressful jobs elsewhere. This contract shows that Dignity Health really does value our contribution to patient care and recognizes the financial challenges we face living in California.”

The newly ratified agreement gives workers an immediate 5% raise and additional annual raises of 4%, 4%, and 5% until the contract expires in 2027. Additionally, all workers currently earning less than $21/hour will receive raises up to the healthcare system’s new minimum.

The new contract also addresses some of the major issues that contribute to understaffing by investing in training new workers and upskilling currently employed caregivers, improving hiring practices, and creating more robust mental health services for caregivers experiencing workplace trauma. SEIU-UHW members at Dignity Health remain the only employees who have the benefit of fully-paid family healthcare.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Renée Saldaña
[email protected]

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.