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MONTEREY PARK/RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A planned five-day strike scheduled to begin on Monday, March 11 at two AHMC Healthcare hospitals has been averted. Frontline Healthcare workers and AHMC executives reached tentative contract agreements in the final hours of scheduled negotiations early Thursday morning for caregivers at Garfield Medical Center in Monterey Park and Monterey Park Hospital. Agreements were also reached last week at AHMC Doctors Hospital of Riverside and Greater El Monte Community Hospital.

The new agreements are a significant step towards addressing the understaffing issues and patient care concerns plaguing AHMC’s hospitals and includes significant wage increases for caregivers, which will help retain healthcare workers and tackle the short-staffing crisis.

“Reaching this agreement wasn’t easy but we stood together for worker and patient safety, improved staffing levels, and fair wages and benefits that reflect the work we do every day,” said Cheer Liv, a Respiratory Therapist at Garfield Medical Center. “This agreement ensures better patient care and safety for our patients and ourselves.”

All contract agreements must be ratified by the hospital workers before they are final. The contract vote will happen later this month. Approximately 1,100 frontline healthcare workers at four AHMC facilities in Southern California are members of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.

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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. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.