EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Healthcare workers in El Paso joined a coordinated national day of action on Wednesday, protesting and calling for higher pay, safer staffing, and changes they say would put patient care ahead of profits at HCA hospitals.<\/p>\n
The Service Employees International Union of Texas, a labor union, said El Paso healthcare workers gathered to protest outside Las Palmas Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, as the protest is part of a nationwide effort involving healthcare workers at dozens of hospitals who are demanding fair contracts, safer staffing and an end to what organizers describe as profit-driven, top-down decisions that harm workers and patients.<\/p>\n
The coordinated day of action comes as contract negotiations open between HCA, described as the country\u2019s largest for-profit healthcare system, and more than 22,000 healthcare workers represented by the SEIU.<\/p>\n
According to SEIU Texas, workers are urging HCA to prioritize patient care by investing in frontline staff who provide essential services every day.<\/p>\n
Speaking to KFOX14\/CBS4 on Wednesday, Sarah Cardenas Cook said she is asking for a raise to pay for necessities. <\/p>\n
“We’re trying to get a raise because all we do, we can’t even afford nothing. No gas, no water. I mean none of the bills, not even rent. The gas is high, all the prices are high. How are we going to be expected to pay all that? If they don’t want to give us a raise,” Cardenas Cook said. <\/p>\n
In a statement to KFOX14\/CBS4, Las Palmas said, \u201cAt Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare, our focus remains on providing the best possible care for our patients and supporting our colleagues who make that care possible. We have been bargaining with SEIU in good faith for the past few months, and we remain committed to reaching a fair contract agreement. It is not uncommon for the union to use staged events with misleading information when they are in contract negotiations with an employer, as we are with SEIU.”<\/p>\n
Adding, “We respect our employees\u2019 right to peacefully demonstrate and believe the best path forward is through continued discussions at the bargaining table. As negotiations continue, we remain committed to all those we care for and serve.\u201d<\/p>\n
SEIU Texas said HCA Healthcare\u2019s profits rose to $6.8 billion in 2025, but workers argue the company has not invested enough in frontline staffing, which they say undermines the ability to provide quality patient care across the system. <\/p>\n
The union also noted that HCA CEO Sam Hazen received more than $26 million in total compensation in 2025, while many frontline employees report wages that have not kept pace with the cost of living. In El Paso, Del Sol and Las Palmas workers make as little as $13.50 an hour, according to the union.<\/p>\n
Workers\u2019 demands include a minimum wage of $25 an hour for all HCA employees, wage scales and increases that reward experience and longevity, and annual wage increases that match the cost of living.<\/p>\n
They are also calling for safe, acuity-based staffing standards informed by frontline workers, along with work-life balance protections such as guaranteed paid vacation, sick days and holidays. Additional demands include protections for union and workers\u2019 rights, including access for union representatives, on-site union meetings and paid orientation time for new employees, as well as preserving the right to bargain over proposed changes during the contract term. <\/p>\n
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