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SAN DIEGO, Dec. 9, 2025 — The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is calling on Philips Healthcare to reach a fair first contract with 17 Field Service Engineers (FSEs) in San Diego who voted overwhelmingly in Fall 2024 to join the IAM. These highly trained engineers are responsible for maintaining and repairing hospital imaging and diagnostic systems across San Diego and the Inland Empire. This equipment is critical to patient care and lifesaving diagnoses.
The bargaining committee has been in negotiations since January 2025. Philips continues to resist negotiating in good faith to help IAM members establish industry-standard wage structures, safety protections, and training commitments for maintaining the operation of CT, MRI, X-ray, Ultrasound, and other diagnostic systems at hospitals and clinics throughout the region.
Workers are seeking fair pay that reflects the advanced skills required to service various types of imaging equipment, as well as improved compensation for overnight and emergency calls. They also want paid training, stronger safety protections, predictable schedules, and fair reimbursement for the travel their jobs require.
These improvements will help prevent burnout and support the essential work Field Service Engineers do to keep hospital imaging systems running safely for patients.
IAM leaders warn that delays at the negotiating table are creating unnecessary tension and instability in a workforce essential to the region’s medical 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 IAM will continue to amplify this issue and organize actions to raise awareness about the delay in receiving a first contract after nearly a year of negotiations.
“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 Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
