• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Caregivers Rally for Health Insurance Benefits at Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center in Hayward

Posted on: Thursday, 1 December 2005, 18:00 CST

HAYWARD, Calif., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Dozens of Tiburcio Vasquez caregivers rallied en masse today for an industry standard contract that features health insurance benefits and safe staffing guidelines. Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center specializes in serving the uninsured, yet refuses to offer its own employees health insurance coverage for dependants. As a result, clinic caregivers are forced to rely on state-funded programs, like Healthy Families, for their children's health insurance.

"I cannot pay the full cost for my children's health insurance -- that is what your employer is supposed to help out with. But Tiburcio Vasquez won't pay a dime," said Meliza Shaw, a Medical Assistant at Tiburcio Vasquez, who earns a little over $10 an hour. "I have a nine year old child and a ten year old who need health care. They have to get it from somewhere, so I had to enroll them in the state program, Healthy Families. Now the taxpayers are paying."

In addition to health insurance benefits for dependants, caregivers are fighting for a real voice in staffing levels. Currently, Tiburcio Vasquez management determines staffing levels, which are often dangerously low. Management also provides caregivers with no relief staff to ensure patients receive adequate care when hospital employees call in sick. Safe staffing guidelines would allow a neutral third party arbitrator to intervene and make binding decisions when staffing issues arise.

"It hurts the patients when we are functioning on such a short staff. People don't get the attention they deserve," said Alma Cortez a Medical Assistant at Tiburcio Vasquez. "Everyone deserves quality health care, but my coworkers and I cannot best serve our patients when we are working on understaffed units."

Tiburcio Vasquez caregivers who are members of SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West have been working without a contract since April 2005. UHW recently filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the clinic for bad faith bargaining.

Contact: Thea Lavin c. 510-520-7732

SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West

CONTACT: Thea Lavin of SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West,+1-510-520-7732

Web site: http://www.seiu-uhw.org/

Source: PRNewswire

More News in this Category