Chants of
”
Up with the patients, down with the bosses
”
and
”
California, you should beware: the Daughters don’t care
”
resonated through the driveway and parking lots at Saint Louise
Regional Hospital as union workers made their voices and concerns
heard.
the picket and interviews with union leaders and hospital
administrators.
Chants of “Up with the patients, down with the bosses” and “California, you should beware: the Daughters don’t care” resonated through the driveway and parking lots at Saint Louise Regional Hospital as union workers made their voices and concerns heard.
Dozens of hospital workers – from certified nursing assistants and lab technicians to food service workers and hospital clerks – sported purple T-shirts emblazoned with their union’s name and waved large picket signs in the air as they rallied Wednesday afternoon to protest what they call a “gutted” and “disappointing” contract proposal handed down by Saint Louise, a 93-bed facility run by the Daughters of Charity Heath System.
Hospital workers, part of the United Healthcare Workers Union, voted last month to hold an informational picket to educate the public on their concerns. The employees’ contract expired April 30 and the union has been bargaining with the hospital since March, advocating for a stronger voice in quality care and increased job security, among other items. The administration countered with their own proposal – one union workers say is a step in the wrong direction.
Citing an example he found especially troubling, Ernest Gonzales, a union steward at Saint Louise, said the administration can cancel employee shifts with little notice, a decision that could impact patients by increasing patient to nurse’s assistant ratios.
“When one CNA (certified nurse’s assistant) has 30 patients to look after, that’s not good patient care,” said Kathleen Volle, a respiratory therapist.
Another “step in the wrong direction” is the hospital’s revocation of the union’s right to call on a third party arbitrator to step in should the hospital and union enter a dispute over patient care, Gonzales said.
“We are the ones working with the patients,” he said, “unlike the administration who doesn’t.”
“We are committed to moving forward, not moving back,” Susan Reddell, chief steward for the union at Saint Louise and a respiratory therapist, yelled through a bullhorn to the cheers of her colleagues.
The administration declined to comment on specific sections of the contract, but handed out letters to patients Wednesday that explained the picket and assured them that the workers were picketing, not striking, and that the patients’ care would not suffer.
“We are currently in contract negotiations with the union and we hope to reach a fair and equitable contract settlement soon,” said Joanne Allen, president and chief executive officer of Saint Louise. “While informational picketing can be distracting, it will not affect patient care.”
The picketers said hospital administration had neither interfered with their demonstration nor offered an acceptable contract. Meanwhile, Allen said she was grateful for the respect the union employees displayed while picketing. She added that some union employees protesting at other hospitals around the state are causing a much more contentious atmosphere than the one at Saint Louise.
During bargaining meetings which were held June 23 and 24, union representatives said there was a “condescending and disrespectful” atmosphere.
“The bargaining is moving slowly,” said Jasmine Nguyen, director of physician and public relations and marketing. Although she was not present at the negotiations, she said the hospital would never put its patients at risk and hopes to reach a fair and equitable contract settlement soon.
“We want a working relationship with the Daughters of Charity,” said Kathleen Volle, a respiratory therapist who sat at the bargaining table on behalf of the union. “We’re hoping we don’t have to strike.”
