Sunnyside, Washington — Certified nursing assistants at six nursing homes across Washington state are casting ballots this week on a tentative contract that would bring wage increases of 8% to 11% over two years — a deal union leaders say addresses a staffing crisis that’s been building for years.
The agreement was negotiated between SEIU 775 and PACS, the corporation that operates all six facilities. According to the union, negotiations stretched nearly a year before the sides reached a tentative deal. Voting runs from Thursday, March 26 through Monday, March 30.
The facilities covered include Sunnyside Healthcare Center in Sunnyside, Mountain View Post Acute in Ellensburg, Linden Post Acute in Toppenish, Colonial Vista Post Acute in Wenatchee, LaCamas Creek Post Acute in Camas, and Richland Post Acute in Richland.
Workers Say Wages Haven’t Kept Up
CNAs at the facilities say the financial stakes are real. Angel Cabrera, a CNA at Sunnyside Healthcare Center, put it plainly: “The cost of living keeps going up. But the wage scale hasn’t kept up.” He argued higher wages would help with both recruiting and keeping staff — and that the ripple effects would be felt in local communities. “When we make livable wages, that money circulates in our local community,” Cabrera said.
Anadelia Flores, who works at Richland Post Acute, described working conditions that many in the industry would recognize. “We are caring for residents with high needs, often on a skeleton crew of staff,” she said. “Our work is essential and we deserve to be treated that way.”
The point on staffing consistency resonated with others. Pamela Stillwagon, a CNA at Mountain View Post-Acute in Ellensburg, noted that some residents don’t receive outside visitors — making stable, long-term staff relationships especially important. “Staff who are there consistently and build bonds of trust are so important to their wellbeing,” she said.
Retention — Not Just Pay — Is the Goal
The union framed the contract as a direct response to the chronic turnover that has long plagued nursing homes. Staffing instability isn’t just an operational problem — it affects the quality of care residents receive, and it’s a cost driver for operators who spend heavily on agency staff when permanent employees leave.
The connection between fair pay and resident outcomes is something the industry has been wrestling with long before this contract vote. Research into nursing home unionization has found that labor agreements reshape staffing in complex ways — and that their effects on care quality aren’t always straightforward.
If the vote passes, exact wage increases will vary by location and job classification, with changes taking effect across the two-year life of the agreement.
The outcome could carry symbolic weight beyond Washington. PACS has grown rapidly to become one of the country’s largest nursing home operators, and how it navigates labor relations at facilities like these may offer a preview of where the broader industry is heading as wage pressure and workforce shortages continue to collide.
