Union-hospital talks to resume next week
Contract negotiations between union employees and Washington Hospital will resume next week, but a specific date has not been determined, spokeswomen from both sides confirmed Thursday.
Karen Gownley of Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania and the hospital’s Stephanie Wagoner said the SEIU committee and hospital management plan to meet next week. These would be the first sessions since talks Saturday and Sunday failed to resolve the impasse.
SEIU employees are working without a contract, which ran for three years before expiring Sunday. Talks that night spilled into early Monday. There have been nine negotiating sessions since late December.
Union workers met Tuesday and voted to allow SEIU to issue a 10-day strike notice. The employees have planned a two-day strike Feb. 16 and 17 if a deal isn’t forged.
The union represents about 400 workers, including those in the maintenance, housekeeping and dietary units, plus unit secretaries. They are concerned about their health care costs and are seeking a minimum wage of $15 per hour.
SEIU employees make up about one-fourth of the payroll in Washington Health System, parent of the hospital. WHS has 1,723 employees.