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Hospital Workers at John Muir Medical Center Announce New Date for Unfair Labor Practice Strike

Posted on: Friday, 10 February 2006, 21:00 CST

CONCORD, Calif., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- This afternoon, over 400 hospital workers represented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West announced plans to strike at John Muir Medical Center in Concord on February 23rd and 24th. UHW members made the announcement after hospital management refused to negotiate in good faith during a bargaining session yesterday. UHW caregivers, who work as Licensed Vocational Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, Respiratory Therapists, Dietary Aides, and other caregiver classifications, were joined in solidarity at the bargaining table by Concord Mayor Susan Bonilla. The bargaining session took place after 77% of UHW members at John Muir, Concord voted to reject management's substandard "last, best, and final" offer which would have allowed the hospital to subcontract jobs currently held UHW members and erode healthcare benefits.

ILWU Local 6, which represents Radiology technologists, and California Nurses Association, which represents RNs, offered their support.

"Yesterday, management would not even come in the bargaining room and talk to us face to face. They want to subcontract away our jobs, erode our health benefits and lay us off at anytime without notice. That is a clear message that they are not willing to bargain in good faith for an industry standard contract," Tricia Hamlin, who has worked as a respiratory therapist at John Muir Medical Center -- Concord Campus for 20 years. "We don't want to strike, but will as a last resort."

At yesterday's bargaining session, management made no proposals and rejected all UHW contract offers. Management rejected UHW's proposal to allow caregivers to choose between a standard HMO plan with no monthly premium and average co-pays or a PPO plan with higher monthly premiums. Management has insisted upon an EPO plan that would force all caregivers to only visit John Muir Medical Center's two hospitals for hospital-based care. No other hospital in California forces their employees to consider an EPO or any plan that covers only one medical center. And every major hospital employer in the Bay Area offers at least one quality health insurance plan with no monthly premiums.

"If I needed pediatric care or other specialized hospital care for my kids, I can't bring them to any hospital other than Mt. Diablo or John Muir," said Martha Lara, a Unit Secretary at Mt. Diablo Medical Center. "As a parent, lack of choice in my family's healthcare is unacceptable. I should be free to choose which hospital I want to receive care from and not be forced to go to my employer. Every hospital has different specialties. Let's face it; John Muir and Mt. Diablo aren't experts in everything."

Management also rejected a ban on subcontracting jobs currently held by UHW members to non-union workers outside of the Concord campus. In addition, management refused not to threaten, intimidate or harass John Muir workers who wish to join the union. Management also refused to accept guidelines to prevent unnecessary layoffs and give caregivers a real voice in staffing.

Yesterday, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland/Berkeley accepted these contract standards, following in the footsteps of California Pacific Medical Center and St. Luke's Hospital in San Francisco last November. Every other major hospital system in Northern California has already agreed to these industry standard contract proposals, including Kaiser, Catholic Healthcare West, and Daughters of Charity.

Management said there was no purpose in scheduling additional bargaining dates with UHW members, forcing caregivers to plan the two-day strike.

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

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