Health care workers at UPMC Washington may be going on strike. Union officials are calling on UPMC to fulfill its promises to invest in their hospital and are decrying a proposed 1% yearly raise and severe cuts while healthcare executives, they say, have received huge payouts. The union contract for the 300 hospital workers expires January 31st and they will be holding a vote on February 3rd to authorize a strike, if necessary. The union says that with starting wage rates as low as $16 an hour, Washington already has serious difficulties with recruitment and retention and UPMC’s proposals would aggravate those staffing problems. The workers say UPMC epitomizes larger problems throughout the country – the erosion of the American Dream for working people struggling with the increased cost of living and the prioritization of healthcare executive pay over patient care. Union officials say that when UPMC completed its takeover of Washington on June 1st of last year, it promised to “invest in its employees and improve benefits offerings” and “invest a minimum of $300 million in WHS” and $40 million in The Washington Foundation. It also vowed to engage in “good faith bargaining” with workers and their union. The union says they have failed to follow through on those promises. Should a strike occur, the union says it would affect many positions that keep the hospital running, like certified surgical technicians, care partners, physical therapy assistants, carpenters, licensed maintenance workers, dietary aides, medical records clerks, housekeepers, unit secretaries, master plumbers, cooks, engineers, patient transporters and others. Officials say if workers do decided to walk off their jobs, they will provide a 10-day notice to management to ensure patient safety and continuity of care.