Soon after they ratified their five-year contract in May 2024, medical technicians at MarinHealth Medical Center went back into fight mode when the employer unilaterally increased their health insurance premiums — a violation of the agreement they had just signed.
By November 2024, a grievance had been filed against the hospital on behalf of the 107 imaging technologists, cardiac sonographers, and pharmacy technicians who work at the 327-bed public district hospital in Marin County.
As the grievance process ran its course without an agreement, the workers stood firm and amped up the pressure on management.
They marched on the boss and delivered a petition to the hospital’s CEO, Jennifer Kramer, demanding to be switched back to the insurance plan mandated under the contract and to be compensated for the overcharges.
They also made their case in the public arena, addressing the Marin Health District Board of Directors and demanding that the hospital restore the lower premiums.
Workers also regularly attended meetings to discuss the grievance, which finally made it to an arbitrator, who this month ruled in their favor.
As part of the arbitration ruling, the hospital has agreed to stop overcharging workers for health care premiums and to pay $97,700 to workers who were charged more than allowed under the contract. Individual compensation will range from $100 to $1,950.
The settlement also benefits pharmacists who have since joined NUHW.
Wesley McDavid, a cardiac sonographer and union steward, said the episode helped workers deepen the solidarity they built during the contract campaign.
“When the hospital tried to unilaterally hike our premiums back in 2024, we didn’t back down. We filed a grievance, spoke at public hearings, and delivered a petition to the CEO,” McDavid said. “This victory and the $97,700 in backpay prove that when we stand together and fight through the entire grievance process, we win. I’m thrilled to see up to $1,950 returning to our pockets where it belongs.”
