Caregivers Picket to Improve Quality Care at Antelope Valley District Hospital
ANTELOPE VALLEY, Calif., July 11 /PRNewswire/ — After more than a year of negotiations at Antelope Valley Hospital, caregivers, including radiology technologists, respiratory care practitioners, licensed vocational nurses and other healthcare workers, will hold a one-day picket to protest the hospital’s failure to bargain in good faith with frontline caregivers. Caregivers have proposed an industry-standard contract comparable to what other hospitals in the area have already agreed. Such a contract includes a real voice in determining how the hospital is staffed, training & upgrade programs for caregivers and competitive wages & benefits. Amidst all the turmoil at Antelope Valley District Hospital, the hospital has staff turnover rate that exceeds 20%.
The hospital has been engaged in the intimidation of employees who are working to achieve a fair contract. Charges have been filed with the California Public Employment Relations Board-PERB, a judicial agency responsible with administering collective bargaining statutes of California’s public hospital unionized employees.
The 1,200 caregivers represented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West have been fighting for more than a year for a fair contract in hopes of enhancing the quality of patient care. The picket is also to protest the hospital’s bad faith bargaining.
“We voted for this public action to move forward for our families, our patients and our community,” said Joe Lach, Respiratory Tech at the hospital. “If other area providers can agree to fair industry-standard contracts with their employees, our hospital-a public district hospital-should be able to do the same.”
“For the past several weeks, we believed we were close to being able to settle with the hospital,” said John Borsos, vice-president of SEIU UHW West, “then at the eleventh hour they went backwards on several key proposals. We hope, and believe, that the new leadership at AVH is interested in a positive relationship with its represented caregivers, but that hasn’t translated to the hospital’s bargaining team.”
What: Informational Picketing Where: Antelope Valley Hospital When: Thursday, July 12, 2007 11:00am – 1:00pm Informational Picketing 12:00pm – 12:30pm Press Conference Who: Antelope Valley Caregivers
SEIU United Healthcare Workers West represents more than 140,000 healthcare workers. We are the largest and fastest growing healthcare union in the Western U.S. with a mission to achieve high quality healthcare for all.
Contact: Tadzio Garcia
213-300-8974
SEIU United Healthcare Workers West
CONTACT: Tadzio Garcia of SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West,+1-213-300-8974
Web site: http://www.seiu-uhw.org/