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Healthcare Workers Hold 1-Day Strike At Chestnut Hill Hospital

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Hundreds of healthcare workers from Chestnut Hill Hospital walked off the job Saturday and held a 1-day strike as they seek higher wages.

Hospital employees held signs and chanted their demands as they marched up and down the sidewalk outside the hospital in the 8000 block of Germantown Avenue in Northwest Philadelphia.

Their union says its members are getting lower pay than other hospital workers in the city.

The group includes certified nursing assistants, emergency room technicians, transporters, unit secretaries and dietary and environmental service workers.

"We give our all every single day for our patients," said Angela Ray, a dietary worker at the hospital. "We aren't asking to be rich. We don't expect to be rich. But we do expect to be able to pay our bills."

Many of the dietary and environmental service workers at Chestnut Hill Hospital make less than $11/hour. They are part of a growing number of healthcare workers across the state who are calling on the industry to invest in the workforce, both to improve local economies and also increase quality of care.

"I work with patients every day, and they are my top priority," said Gary Canada, a certified nursing assistant. "If the hospital isn't offering good and competitive jobs, they can't bring in and retain a strong workforce. We risk losing experienced, dedicated employees to other hospitals or nursing homes, and that affects patients."

Both sides have been in contract negotiations for nearly two months.

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