"The situation in Seattle is concerning to us for a number of reasons. Foremost, we are committed to the healthcare needs of the citizens of Seattle. We have done everything to work a viable solution that allows us to continue providing care at the highest levels. During our negotiations with the City, we attempted to find concessions and rates that would allow us to offer additional increases for our employees. We understand the financial constraints Seattle is under and the contract we have is what the system can afford under a Basic Life Support (BLS) model with no subsidies. Based on the current contract, we have offered the union a contract that allows us to provide wage increases ranging from 14.75 percent to 25 percent over the 3-year life of the agreement, as well as support the infrastructure to continue serving the city of Seattle. We are hopeful that contract will be ratified."