Spokane Regional Health District approved 3-year contract for unionized employees

The Spokane Regional Health District approved a three-year contract with their employees early last week.

The contract will provide cost-of-living increases each year through 2028. The first two years of the contract wages will increase by 2.5% and by 2% in its last year. The 2026 increases will apply retroactively to the beginning of the year.

“Increases are in line with inflation or maybe a little behind,” said Protec17 union representative Suzie Saunders. “These are modest adjustments in an era of a loss of public funding for public health,” she said.

The contract also adds an extra day of time off for bereavement, and loss of pregnancy is now covered as an example of bereavement.

The contract was approved unanimously Wednesday by the SRHD health board.

“Thanks to all of the negotiating team involved in putting this together. I know it’s a lot of work and just a thank you to all the Protec17 members and health district employees for all their incredible hard work on behalf of the Health District,” said Spokane County Commissioner and health board member Chris Jordan ahead of the contract’s approval Wednesday.