On today’s episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Cristina Hooper, a medical social worker and Service Employees International Union Local 1107 member at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, joined us to discuss what it took to win the first union contract at Sunrise Hospital.
Hooper began by sharing the unique organizing environment at Sunrise Hospital. While the majority of the hospital’s nearly 3,000 employees had union representation, a small group of about 300 professionals—including social workers, therapists and pharmacists—had been excluded from the union. This led to significant disparities, such as non-union workers missing out on annual raises that their unionized colleagues received. Spurred by the pay inequities and inspired by unionized coworkers, Hooper and her colleagues built bridges across departments, growing support for representation and overcoming the difficulties of connecting a diverse, often isolated professional workforce.
Shifting to the contract negotiation process, Hooper described it as rigorous but ultimately rewarding. The bargaining team, comprised of rank-and-file workers, met after long shifts and volunteered numerous hours. The resulting three-year contract includes an average raise of 12 percent, with some workers receiving up to 30 percent to address longstanding pay gaps. While not perfect, Hooper said the contract established overdue respect and protections for their professions, and set a precedent for social workers and other hospital professionals to follow across the nation.
Finally, the conversation turned to Hooper’s perspective as a proud Latina immigrant. She highlighted the growing fear and anxiety among immigrant patients in the current political climate, noting a drop in hospital visits because people are scared to seek care or access available resources. Hooper expressed concern that management remained silent in the face of these challenges, even when issues near the hospital were brought to their attention. Despite the progress with the contract, broader systemic challenges remain, especially for those in marginalized communities.
For more from Hooper, please listen to the full episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast above.
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