The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) is urging Philips Healthcare to finalize a first contract with 17 Field Service Engineers (FSEs) in San Diego. The engineers, who joined the IAM in Fall 2024, are responsible for maintaining hospital imaging and diagnostic equipment across San Diego and the Inland Empire.
Negotiations between the union and Philips began in January 2025 but have yet to produce an agreement. According to the IAM, Philips has resisted establishing industry-standard wages, safety measures, and training commitments for those servicing critical medical devices such as CT scanners, MRIs, X-rays, and ultrasound systems.
The engineers are seeking higher pay that reflects their technical skills, better compensation for overnight or emergency work, paid training opportunities, improved safety protocols, more predictable schedules, and fair reimbursement for job-related travel. The union says these changes would help reduce worker burnout while ensuring reliable operation of hospital imaging equipment vital to patient care.
IAM leadership warns that continued delays at the bargaining table are affecting morale among workers essential to local healthcare infrastructure. “These engineers are the invisible backbone of our healthcare system,” said IAM Union Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez. “Without them, hospitals cannot diagnose strokes, detect cancers, or deliver timely emergency care. Philips must recognize their skill, respect their critical role, and negotiate a contract that protects both workers and patients.”
The union states it will keep drawing attention to what it describes as slow progress toward a first contract after nearly a year of talks. “Philips has the opportunity right now to be a leader in patient safety, worker retention, and healthcare quality,” said IAM Union District 725 Assistant Directing Business Representative Justin Mauldin. “We are urging the company to come to the table with real solutions so these workers can continue performing their life-saving roles without being stretched thin.”
The IAM represents around 600,000 active and retired members across North America in sectors including aerospace, defense, transit systems, shipbuilding, railroads, healthcare services and automotive industries.
