Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Sunrise Hospital Workers in Las Vegas Secure First Contract, 12% Raises
Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Medical professionals at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1107, are celebrating their first contract. The new contract will improve staff recruitment and retention and provides average raises of more than 12% over three years.
The contract covers nearly 300 employees working in laboratory technology, social work, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology, among other fields. The contract also provides union representation and a neutral arbitrator available for workplace problems, a Patient Care Committee and other committees to improve staffing, and protected benefits like 100% employer-paid health care premiums.
“In order to provide the best care and meet all of our community’s complex needs, we must have the very best professionals working here,” said Cristina Hooper, a medical social worker at Sunrise. “Our first union contract is the foundation that will empower us to attract and keep professionals, and give us a seat at the table to represent our patients and ourselves.”
