SEIU-UHW members collected signatures, showed up to city council, talked to voters in person — and we WON in Inglewood! We won’t stop until we win fair wages for ALL healthcare workers in California.
“We’re thrilled that Inglewood voters recognize and value the sacrifices made by essential healthcare workers. After the extreme risks of working in a hospital for the past few years, many people don’t want to stay, especially if they can earn the same somewhere else,” said Martha Alvarez, a Certified Nursing Assistant at Centinela Hospital.
How much is the new minimum wage?
The minimum wage will be set at $25 per hour, and will increase annually based on inflation.
Who will be covered?
The new minimum wage would cover all private sector healthcare workers who work in hospitals, integrated health systems, and dialysis clinics in Inglewood.
This includes clinicians, nurses, certified nursing assistants, aides, technicians, maintenance workers, janitorial or housekeeping staff, groundskeepers, guards, food service workers, laundry workers, and pharmacists, but does not include managers or supervisors.
When will the new minimum wage go into effect?
The new healthcare worker minimum wage should go into effect by the end of December. We’ll keep you updated as we get more definitive information.
Does this help those who already are paid more than $25 per hour?
Setting a minimum wage demonstrates that we value all healthcare workers for their sacrifices and contributions to caring for our families during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for their importance in keeping our healthcare system strong.
Can healthcare corporations afford this?
During the pandemic, healthcare corporations received large amounts of federal funding and have made billions in profits. The minimum wage will help ensure that corporate pandemic profits are invested in supporting healthcare workers.
This is just the beginning
Inglewood will be the first city to have a healthcare worker minimum wage law in effect. The law has also passed in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Downey and we are fighting repeal efforts from the hospital industry.
But those cities are just the start. We are working to win a $25 minimum wage for all healthcare workers in California, raise wages for all healthcare workers, make sure our workplaces are fully staffed and improve patient care for all Californians.
