Nearly 300 clinic workers are set to step outside with signs over their shoulders at Community Health Care sites across Pierce County today, Jan. 27, arguing that low wages and shrinking benefits are squeezing staff and putting long-term patient relationships at risk. Organizers say the informational pickets will run roughly from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and are designed to pressure management back to the bargaining table without canceling appointments. The lunchtime walkouts are planned at clinics in Tacoma, Spanaway, Lakewood, and Puyallup and will include medical, dental, and pharmacy staff.
According to a press release from SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, nearly 300 Community Health Care employees at seven locations will hold the informational pickets on Jan. 27 to call for stronger wages, stable benefits, and a consistent disciplinary process. The union, which represents more than 37,000 nurses and healthcare workers across Washington and Montana, says bargaining has already stretched past 15 sessions, with workers and management still far apart on core issues. The release details the specific sites and times and invites neighbors and patients to show up on the sidewalk in support.
Community Health Care’s Role And Roots
Community Health Care is a private, nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center that traces its beginnings to volunteer-run clinics launched in 1969 and now operates medical, dental, and pharmacy locations across Pierce County. As Community Health Care notes, the organization became an independent nonprofit in 1987 and focuses on serving low-income and underinsured patients in the region. The system says its clinics care for people who often face language, immigration, and income barriers when seeking medical help.
What Workers Are Demanding
Union leaders say Community Health Care’s current wage proposal, which they describe as a 0.5% increase for most staff, is nowhere near what they view as a competitive rate. They argue that a $25 hourly starting wage is now a local standard and is necessary to keep experienced employees from leaving. Workers also contend that medical and retirement benefits have worsened since the last contract and that disciplinary actions, including what they describe as retaliation against union delegates, have increased, according to reporting from The News Tribune. The News Tribune reports that Community Health Care representatives did not comment on the plans for Tuesday’s action when contacted.
Union Voices And Staff Concerns
In a statement shared by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, Yolanda Kennedy-Kambarami, a patient-services representative in Puyallup and a member of the union bargaining team, called the clinics “a safety net for our neighbors.” She emphasized that keeping trusted staff who understand patients’ cultural and language needs is key to providing consistent, high-quality care.
Where Bargaining Stands And Next Steps
Organizers say talks have gone beyond 15 bargaining sessions with both sides still split on wages, benefits and disciplinary procedures, and they stress that Tuesday’s actions are informational, not a full work stoppage. The News Tribune reports that the pickets are meant to ramp up community pressure for what workers consider a fair contract while negotiators continue meeting at the table.
Why It Matters To Patients
Community Health Care’s clinics serve many low-income, immigrant and underinsured patients, and staff say frequent turnover makes it harder to build and maintain trust with those communities. As Community Health Care points out, its network of clinics and pharmacies is designed as a safety net across Pierce County, a role workers argue depends on having stable, experienced teams in place…