CGH Medical Center employees ratify first union contract after five years of conflict

Employees of CGH Medical Center in the Sauk Valley region represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 have ratified their first union contract after five years of disputes with hospital management. 

A tentative agreement was reached on June 29 and overwhelmingly ratified by union members during voting held July 13-15.

CGH employees first organized their union in 2019 and were certified by the Illinois Labor Relations Board (ILRB) in 2021. 

Throughout the following five years, CGH management stalled and drew out negotiations year after year, spending at least $1.9 million on anti-union attorneys in an effort to silence workers’ voices. During that time, the ILRB twice found that CGH broke the law, including for a letter issued by hospital leadership that pressured employees to abandon their union.

In 2025, the Illinois General Assembly voted to amend the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act to allow an independent arbitrator to decide first union contracts when the parties can’t reach an agreement. The change was prompted in part by the unnecessary years-long roadblocks CGH management used to delay an agreement. The prospect of allowing an outside arbitrator to make final determinations about its employment policies finally compelled CGH management to make a serious commitment to reaching a contract settlement, paving the way for the contract members voted to approve. 

“Despite going up against an employer that was hostile to their union from the very start, CGH workers never wavered,” said AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch. “They organized, they spoke out, and they stood together through years of delay. This agreement is a testament to their determination to make CGH a better place to work and a better place for patients.”

AFSCME represents workers at CGH’s main medical center and its network of nearly 20 satellite clinics. CGH is one of the few large medical providers in the Sterling/Rock Falls region of northern Illinois. 

“We organized our union because we wanted a real voice in the decisions that affect our patients and our families—safe staffing, fair pay and a say in our working conditions,” said Shelly Houzenga, a medical technologist at the hospital and a member of the union bargaining committee. “For five years, we fought for that voice, and we’ve won it with this contract. Because of these protections, CGH will be a better place for patients and staff alike.”

 Key provisions in the contract include:

• Wage increases of at least 9.75% over the three-year contract, with higher wages due for many employees through a new twice-yearly process for market-based wage adjustments;
• Two additional days of paid time off per year;
• No increase in health insurance premiums in 2026, with strong protections against future cost-shifting onto employees;
• The establishment of a grievance procedure that will protect employees’ rights and resolve workplace issues fairly;
• A $2-per-hour pay differential for employees performing charge duties; and
• Limits on the use of temporary, out-of-town workers when regular employees are available to do the work.