Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 11
HCA Union Workers Picket at 12-Plus Hospitals for $25 Minimum Wage as Profits Hit $6.8 Billion
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 11

HCA Union Workers Picket at 12-Plus Hospitals for $25 Minimum Wage as Profits Hit $6.8 Billion

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 11

Summary

  • More than a dozen HCA hospitals in California, Texas, Nevada and Florida are seeing pickets this week as 22,000 SEIU-represented workers press contract demands for higher pay and more staffing.
  • Workers are seeking a path to a $25 hourly minimum wage, cost-of-living raises, better benefits and staffing protections, saying wages have stagnated while living costs climbed and shortages strain patient care.
  • HCA reported $6.8 billion in 2025 profit, up 17.8% from 2024, then authorized a $10 billion stock buyback in early 2026; CEO Sam Hazen received more than $26.5 million in 2025.
  • HCA says only a small number of affiliated hospitals are in local SEIU talks and disputes framing the dispute as a patient-safety issue, while negotiations at Sunrise in Las Vegas continue on Aug. 11-12.

Insights

With billions in profit, why are frontline workers at America's largest hospital system struggling to survive on basic wages?
Could a new minimum wage mandate completely disrupt the billion-dollar profit model of corporate healthcare?
Are chronic staffing shortages at highly profitable hospitals putting your health at risk during a medical emergency?