California lawmakers could vote to raise the minimum wage for healthcare workers to $25 an hour. Senate Bill 525 is expected to reach the floor Thursday before the session adjourns for the year. If approved, not all health care workers would see an immediate reduction. increase. Initial opposition to the bill expressed concern that raising the minimum wage would lead to more expensive health care services, especially in rural areas. The bill has since been rewritten dividing health care facilities into four groups: large health care systems and hospitals and all dialysis hospitals. clinics, smaller health care centers, high-paying public centers, and community clinics. Under the bill, rural health clinics would have until June 2027 to meet the $25 minimum wage increase. “Right now in the state of California, we have a staffing crisis in our hospitals and that staffing crisis is impacting patient care. Our communities deserve the highest level of patient care and our healthcare workers want to provide it” said Joseph Brown, Radiologist. technician and member of the executive committee of SEIU United Healthcare Workers. The pay increase would affect everyone who works in healthcare, including janitors, food staff and transporters. “If the room is not clean, then you get an infection. Is that less important than the doctor doing the job? No. Everyone has a role to play.” “We are a team,” Brown said. If the bill passes both the Assembly and the Senate, it will go to the governor’s desk, who will have 30 days to decide whether to sign it into law.
California lawmakers could vote to raise the minimum wage for health care workers to $25 an hour.
Senate Bill 525 is expected to reach the floor Thursday before the session adjourns for the year.
If approved, not all health care workers would see an immediate raise.
Initial opposition to the bill expressed concern that raising the minimum wage would lead to more expensive health care services, especially in rural areas.
The bill has since been rewritten dividing health care facilities into four groups: large health care systems and hospitals and all dialysis clinics, smaller health care facilities, high-paying public facilities, and community clinics.
Under the bill, rural health clinics would have until June 2027 to meet the $25 minimum wage increase.
“Right now in the state of California, we have a staffing crisis in our hospitals and that staffing crisis is impacting patient care. Our communities deserve the highest level of patient care and our healthcare workers want to provide it” said Joseph Brown, Radiologist. technician and member of the executive committee of SEIU United Healthcare Workers.
The pay increase would affect everyone under the healthcare umbrella, including janitors, food staff and transporters.
“If the room isn’t clean, then you get an infection. Is that less important than the doctor doing the job? No. We all have a role to play. We’re a team,” Brown said.
If the bill passes both the Assembly and the Senate, it will go to the governor’s desk, who will have 30 days to decide whether to sign it into law.