Union workers at HCA Healthcare, the largest for-profit hospital system and operator in the United States, are staging picket protests nationwide on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, to demand higher pay and increased staffing in upcoming contract negotiations.
HCA Healthcare employs over 300,000 people across the US and UK, with 22,000 US workers represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). These workers are seeking a pathway to a $25 minimum hourly wage, improved wage scales, raises that keep pace with the rising cost of living, and enhanced benefits including paid vacation, sick leave, and stronger workplace protections.
Esther Reyes, a single mother of three and environmental services technician at the HCA-owned Las Palmas hospital in El Paso, Texas, shared her struggles living on a $16.80 hourly wage. "Sometimes I need to decide, maybe this month I pay the water bill, then another pay for gas, but most of the time I’m not able to pay for everything," Reyes said.
The protests come as HCA reported $6.8 billion in profits for 2025, marking a 17.8% increase from the previous year. Jody Domineck, a pediatric nurse with over 20 years at HCA Sunrise hospital in Las Vegas and secretary-treasurer of SEIU Local 1107, criticized the compensation of frontline workers. "Meanwhile, the people doing the work are not being compensated appropriately. Our work is how they’re making billions," Domineck said.
Domineck also highlighted patient safety concerns linked to staffing shortages, citing studies that show increased patient loads raise risks for all patients. She and coworkers held a rally on August 6, 2026, to support their contract demands.
In response, a spokesperson for Sunrise Health System stated, "We value every member of our team and remain committed to reaching a fair agreement through good-faith negotiations. While we respect our employees’ right to peacefully demonstrate, portraying this as a patient safety issue is inaccurate."
Picket protests are planned at more than a dozen HCA hospitals in states including California, Texas, Nevada, and Florida as contract talks continue.
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