SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — Workers at a Springfield hospital are on a three-day strike over negotiations for a new contract.
The strike involves about 340 workers at McKenzieÂWillamette Medical Center — such as emergency room and monitor technicians, housekeepers, food service workers, radiology technicians and physical therapy aides.
They say the hospital has proposed increases in health care costs that would more than offset the raises offered.
The Eugene Register-Guard reports the hospital is owned by Tennessee-based Community Health Systems. The workers are represented by the Service Employees International Union. Their contract expired Dec. 31. The strike began Tuesday.
A hospital spokeswoman refused to answer questions about replacement workers and said in a statement that the hospital was staffed with “qualified health care professionals.”
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