Members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 39 began a two-week strike Sept. 29 at Providence Santa Rosa (Calif.) Memorial Hospital and Petaluma (Calif.) Valley Hospital, according to The Press Democrat. The union represents almost 20 nonclinical facilities caregivers at the two hospitals. Renton, Wash.-based Providence, the hospitals’ parent organization, employs 125,000 caregivers total.

The strike comes after several months of negotiations with the union, according to a statement from Providence shared with Becker’s. The health system said the hospitals are “well prepared” for the strike after offering “competitive wage increases and other meaningful contract enhancements” in negotiations. Union members are seeking wages on par with counterparts at nearby hospitals,

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