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SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West to Strike at John Muir Medical Center on February 23rd and 24th

Posted on: Monday, 20 February 2006, 12:00 CST

CONCORD, Calif., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 23rd, over 400 hospital workers represented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW) will launch an unfair labor practices two-day strike at John Muir Medical Center, Concord campus. UHW caregivers, who work as Licensed Vocational Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, Respiratory Therapists, Dietary Aides, and other caregiver classifications, have been working without a contract since their last one expired on October 15, 2005. UHW members are fighting for an industry standard contract that gives caregivers a real voice in staffing and the right for hospital workers to join a union without harassment or intimidation from management. UHW members are also requesting a ban on subcontracting healthcare jobs to the lowest bidder and guidelines to prevent unnecessary layoffs.

"John Muir is insisting they must have the right to layoff and subcontract jobs to agencies that pay their workers the least at any time. And with all of the for-profit specialty centers that John Muir is opening, there is every reason to believe they would subcontract out my job in a second," said Chuck Scott, who has worked as a Sterile Processing Technician for 20 years at John Muir Medical Center, Concord Campus. "I never wanted to strike, but the hospital is giving me no choice. John Muir is forcing me to strike for my own job security and to not have a work environment where we really can't care for patients properly."

Every other major hospital system in Northern California has already agreed to an industry standard contract, including Kaiser, Catholic Healthcare West, and Daughters of Charity. In addition, six Bay Area hospitals owned by Sutter Health, including Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch and several independent hospitals have adopted the same industry standards requested by John Muir caregivers.

UHW caregivers at John Muir are fighting for the right to visit the hospital of their choice for medical care. Management has insisted upon an unprecedented EPO plan that would force all caregivers to only visit John Muir Medical Center's two hospitals for most hospital-based care. UHW's proposal allows caregivers to choose between a standard HMO plan with no monthly premium and average co-pays or a PPO plan with higher monthly premiums. No other hospital in California forces their employees to consider an EPO or any plan that covers only two hospitals medical center. And every major hospital employer in the Bay Area offers at least one quality health insurance plan with no monthly premiums

The decision to schedule the strike came after management refused to continue negotiations after having bargained in bad faith for months.

ILWU Local 6, which represents Radiology technologists, and California Nurses Association, which represents RNs, have formally offered SEIU UHW members their support.

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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