About 100 workers from Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital participated in a rally Wednesday to protest what they're calling "unfair treatment" by their employers.

Clad in purple and gold, the Service Employees International Union workers rallied outside Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto at 3:30 p.m.

According to hospital spokeswoman Sarah Staley, contract negotiations began on Sept. 27, and the two sides have only come together for one meeting.

SEIU alleges that incomes of workers at both hospitals are 20 percent below the market rate, but that the hospital's profits have skyrocketed.

"We work hard to make Stanford a world-class hospital, but Stanford is among the area's worst hospitals in terms of employee pay, benefits, and working conditions," Stanford Hospital employee Chuck Fonseca said.

According to SEIU spokeswoman Gayle Tiller, Stanford service workers are taking the biggest hit financially.

"At Stanford an entry level housekeeping assistant makes $13.73 an hour," Tiller said. "At Kaiser that same position is making $16.38 an hour."

Thus far through negotiations, Staley said that the workers are asking for a wage increase, retirement benefits and packages and better benefits, which the two hospitals are more then willing to negotiate.

"Every hospital employee we have is mission critical to our success," Staley said. "We value these employees, and both hospitals are committed to coming to an agreement."

Negotiations are expected to be finished by the time the current contracts are up on Nov. 4, and Staley said representatives from the hospitals "look forward to having a fruitful discussion" with their employees.

SEIU represents an estimated 1,400 out of a total of 8,000 employees between the two hospitals, according to Staley.

— Bay City News Service