FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 12, 2022

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The 24-hour strike planned for January 13  is canceled, as Doctors Hospital of Riverside workers and management reached a tentative agreement. The new agreement includes significant wage increases for caregivers, many of whom had been earning close to minimum wage after dedicating a decade or more to the hospital.

“A big reason we’ve been so understaffed is that it’s hard to get workers to stay here,” said John Richardson, a Pathology Assistant at the hospital. “People would come for three to six months, get some experience, and move on. Now, with this new agreement, we’ve got a better chance of keeping experienced caregivers here in Riverside to care for our patients.”

The agreement must be ratified by the hospital workers before it is final. The contract vote will happen later this month.

Approximately 330 Doctors Hospital employees are members of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.

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