Healthcare workers in the Kansas City area joined a nationwide wave of informational pickets this week at facilities operated by HCA Healthcare, the nation’s largest for-profit hospital system.
The Service Employees International Union is asking for higher wages and better staffing.
Layla Alotaibi, an SEIU Healthcare member and patient care technician at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, said she earns about $17 an hour, adding that workers requested a 4 percent raise during contract talks, while HCA proposed a 1.25% increase.
"We were not going for that at all. The wages were low, but we were concerned based on the staffing. A lot of people are leaving because of the wages being low, and being pretty much overworked and underpaid," Alotaibi outlined.
As contract negotiations begin, workers are seeking a path to $25 an hour, guaranteed paid sick and vacation time, and stronger workplace protections. HCA said it values its employees and remains committed to reaching fair agreements through good-faith negotiations.
The hospital system reported $6.8 billion in profits last year, while union members argued many front-line employees are struggling to support their families. Alotaibi pointed out their concerns are not only about the numbers on a paycheck.
"Healthcare needs to have a more respectable approach when it comes to fair staffing, wages, and overall respect for the work that we do," Alotaibi emphasized.
HCA said it respects workers’ right to demonstrate but disputed that the disagreement is about patient safety, claiming the unresolved issues center on compensation.
Missouri News Service originally published this story and is a partner with KRCU Public Radio.
