Tuesday is day two of a strike by more than 500 dialysis caregivers over what they say are unfair labor practices at their clinics.
Workers rallied at Fresenius Kidney Care Brentwood Park in Brentwood and at Satellite Healthcare Blossom Valley in San Jose between 11am and 1pm Sept. 26, the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West union said in a news release.
Since Monday, workers at nearly two dozen Satellite Healthcare and Fresenius Kidney Care clinics across California, including locations in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, have rallied against management practices that union members allege are putting staff and patients at risk to increase profits while violating workers’ rights.
The participants include registered nurses, patient care technicians, social workers, hemodialysis technicians and other caregivers who provide weekly dialysis treatments at the clinics. The strike also applies to licensed vocational nurses, dietitians, clinical administrative coordinators and receptionists.
Five employees at the Morgan Hill Satellite Healthcare location and 24 employees of the Gilroy facility—who are all members of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West—have joined the strike, according to union spokesperson Maria Leal.
According to the union, management from both corporations has violated U.S. labor law by threatening and intimidating caregivers, firing workers for trying to form a union and speaking out to improve patient care, making unilateral changes to working conditions without negotiating and failing to bargain in good faith in contract negotiations.
The dialysis caregivers are joined by nearly 100,000 other health care workers also voting to authorize strikes across other healthcare corporations in California this fall, the union said last week.
Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.
