When Dolores Villarreal started at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance, she was a young woman just starting her career.
Four decades later, the 67-year-old housekeeper has spent her entire working life at the 423-bed hospital, earning praise for her dedication and performance, but not wages that match her experience.
In 46 years, Villarreal’s salary has increased from $3.65 an hour in 1979 to $27.92 an hour — an average hike of 52 cents per hour each year.
“I’ve left all my efforts, my youth here. I’m committed to my job, and I work hard,” Villarreal said. “There are some new people who earn more than I do, and that’s not right. Where is the reward, the recognition for the years I’ve worked here?”
She’s not the only one who feels underpaid. Over 40 percent of the 507 workers who voted to unionize with NUHW in December 2024 earn the $24-per-hour healthcare minimum wage; just 11 of 158 with over 10 years’ experience make $30 an hour or more.
Villarreal loves her job, coworkers, and serving the patients at the hospital, but she says Providence must pay living wages that encourage workers to stay at the hospital as long as she has.
She has joined the NUHW Bargaining Team to negotiate better wages, benefits, job protections, and working conditions.
“I’m close to retirement. I’m doing this for my coworkers and those who will come after me,” said Villarreal. “So that they’re protected and earn a little more than what they are paying us now.”
Besides pay, Villarreal would like to see a reduction in floating to other departments and improved staffing levels. Sometimes, she’s had to work into her lunch break because there’s too much work, as their cleaning areas have expanded and there are fewer employees working.
“The hospital barely replaces workers who leave. We’re earning the same wages and doing the work of those who have left,” she said.
She added that it’s time for Providence, which reported $8.2 billion in cash reserves and investments in 2023, to step up and do the right thing for her and her coworkers.
“I work in surgery and doctors thank us all the time for our work,” she said. “They say that without us cleaning, they couldn’t bring the patients into the rooms. The hospital should see what we contribute and pay us more.”
