Caregivers at UW Medicine Valley Medical Center to Protest Planned Cuts to Retirement

MEDIA ADVISORY:
June 17, 2020

CONTACT:
Amy Clark
425.306.2061
amyc@seiu1199nw.org

Thursday: Nurses and Caregivers of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW at UW Medicine Valley Medical Center to Protest Planned Cuts to Retirement
Suspension of retirement contributions would have greatest impact on workers of color

WHO: Nurses and healthcare workers from SEIU Healthcare 1199NW at UW Medicine Valley Medical Center
WHAT: Physically distanced demonstration to protest Valley’s planned suspension of retirement account contributions
WHEN: Thursday, June 18, 11 a.m. – 12 noon and 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
WHERE: UW Medicine Valley Medical Center, 400 S. 43rd St., Renton

RENTON—Nurses and healthcare workers from SEIU Healthcare 1199NW at UW Medicine Valley Medical Center will gather Thursday for a physically distanced demonstration to protest Valley management’s proposal to suspend contributions to employees’ retirement accounts for a minimum of five months.

Caregivers in medical masks will stand six feet apart on 43rd Street outside the hospital, holding signs and banners calling for reinstatement of the retirement contributions mandated by their union contract.

Valley Medical Center treated the second COVID-19 case in Washington state and has cared for many of the patients impacted by the Western Washington’s largest outbreaks. After months of extraordinary, life-saving work, caregivers say they feel shocked and insulted that Valley management would attempt to shore up profits by cutting into worker’s retirement savings. Employer retirement contributions are especially important to the lowest-wage workers in Valley’s care team, many of whom are people of color already experiencing our country’s racial wealth gap.

The healthcare heroes at UW Medicine Valley Medical Center cannot afford for the employer to suspend this contribution to their retirement and their future. While highly paid executives can make up for retirement cuts with their own savings, many healthcare workers live paycheck-to-paycheck. By suspending retirement plan contributions, Valley is stealing from the futures of its workers and their families.

UW Medicine Valley Medical Center is the only represented employer that has been bold enough during the coronavirus outbreak to propose to save money by cutting retirement.

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SEIU Healthcare 1199NW is a union of nurses and healthcare workers with over 30,000 caregivers throughout hospitals, clinics, mental health, skilled home health and hospice programs in
Washington state and Montana.

SEIU Healthcare 1199NW’s mission is to advocate for quality care and good jobs for all.