Key facts
- HCA Healthcare workers are protesting for higher pay and improved staffing.
- Workers are seeking a $25/hour minimum wage and raises aligned with the cost of living.
- HCA reported $6.8 billion in profits in 2025 and a $10 billion stock buyback program.
- CEO Sam Hazen's 2025 compensation exceeded $26.5 million.
- Union representatives argue that company profits do not reflect fair worker compensation.
- HCA states the core issues in negotiations are compensation-related.
Union workers at HCA Healthcare, the largest for-profit hospital operator in the U.S., are conducting picket protests nationwide to advocate for higher pay and improved staffing levels in their new contract negotiations. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing 22,000 HCA employees, is leading the effort, seeking a minimum wage of $25 per hour, better wage scales, and raises that reflect the rising cost of living, alongside enhanced benefits and work protections.
Esther Reyes, an environmental services technician at an HCA hospital in El Paso, Texas, shared her struggles to manage on her $16.80 hourly wage, highlighting difficult choices between paying essential bills. Her situation exemplifies the financial strain many workers face, prompting them to demand better compensation.
HCA Healthcare reported substantial profits, with $6.8 billion in earnings for 2025 and a $10 billion stock buyback program authorized in early 2026. This financial success stands in contrast to the workers' concerns, as CEO Sam Hazen received over $26.5 million in compensation in 2025, a figure significantly higher than the median employee salary. Jody Domineck, a pediatric nurse and union official, emphasized that the company's billions in profits are generated by the labor of its employees, who are seeking fair compensation.
Beyond wages, the union is also addressing staffing shortages, which Domineck stated impact both workers and patient care. The group is pushing for guaranteed safe nurse-to-patient ratios in their contract, a measure previously vetoed by Nevada's governor. Domineck recounted personal experiences of being unable to provide adequate support to patients due to being stretched thin across too many responsibilities.
A spokesperson for HCA acknowledged that negotiations are underway with local SEIU chapters, emphasizing that the primary outstanding issues concern compensation. While respecting the employees' right to demonstrate, the company disputes the characterization of the situation as a patient safety issue and expressed commitment to reaching a fair agreement at the bargaining table.