SAN FRANCISCO, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- 14,000 caregivers at 28 facilities owned by Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) have settled a tentative agreement which represents an historic shift in the way hospital care is delivered in California. The 4-year statewide master agreement, which still needs to be ratified by members of SEIU Locals 121RN, 250 and 399, insures a strong voice for caregivers in improving staffing levels, with disputes settled by a neutral health care expert. In an ambitious effort to meet the growing demand for highly skilled health care professionals, the agreement also includes a training fund, paid educational leave and tuition reimbursement. In addition, there are significant increases in the pension plan which will help recruit and retain qualified staff. Along with the union contract that is in place at Kaiser Permanente, this agreement sets the standard for all other hospital union contracts in the state.
“I’m very proud that we’ve been able to establish a master contract with CHW and for the first time ever on the West Coast, we’ve been able to set up a formal training and education fund for health care workers,” said Martha Vazquez, who has been a Radiology Technologist at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton for the past 12 years. “When employees have a voice in staffing, educational opportunities and good benefits, quality of care improves.”
The agreement also sets up a statewide Labor-Management Committee and regional Workforce Planning Committees so that employer and workforce representatives can jointly anticipate and plan for industry trends. There is a host of other major improvements. At a time when many unions are struggling to defend past gains, CHW caregivers achieved 20% average wage increases, the ability to achieve retiree health care within 2 years and 100% employer paid family health insurance. Finally, CHW agreed to allow employees who are not yet members of SEIU to unionize without management interference.
“CHW has come to realize that hospitals serve patients better when frontline health care workers have a voice in setting appropriate staffing levels and other patient care decisions,” said Sal Rosselli, president of SEIU Local 250, the Health Care Workers Union for Northern California. “This agreement sets the standard that all other hospital corporations in the state should now live up to.”
In a separate agreement, a formal workgroup was set up to pursue common goals in the area of health care reform such as achieving universal access, improved quality of care and increased accountability of health care dollars. Most importantly, CHW pledged to join with caregivers to defend the Health Insurance Act, SB2, which requires big business to provide affordable health insurance.
The health care workers of SEIU have now vowed to focus their energies on supporting the caregivers at Daughters of Charity, Sutter Health and many independent hospitals who are still without contracts.
CHW Hospitals Covered by Agreement Facility SEIU Local City Number of members Bakersfield Memorial 399 Bakersfield 625 Bruceville Terrace 250 Sacramento 120 California Hospital 399 Los Angeles 500 Community Hospital of San Bernadino 399 San Bernadino 725 Mercy General 250 Sacramento 800 Mercy Hospital Bakersfield 399 Bakersfield 165 Mercy San Juan 250 Carmichael 800 Mercy Folsom 250 Folsom 160 Mercy Home Health 250 Rancho Cordova 60 Mercy Westside 399 Bakersfield 100 Methodist 250 Sacramento 400 Mercy Mt. Shasta 250 Shasta 170 Mercy Redding 250 Redding 725 Northridge Roscoe 121RN/399 Northridge 650 Northridge Sherman Way 121RN/399 Van Nuys 1,425 St. Bernadine 399 San Bernadino 700 St. Mary’s Long Beach 399 Long Beach 800 St. Mary’s SF 250 San Francisco 450 St. Francis 250 San Francisco 380 St. John’s Pleasant Valley 121RN/399 Camarillo 405 St. John’s Regional 121RN/399 Oxnard 950 St. Joseph’s Medical Center 250 Stockton 1,100 St. Joseph’s Behavioral Health Center 250 Stockton 55 St. Dominic’s 250 Manteca 160 Dominican 250 Santa Cruz 400 Dominican Oaks 250 Santa Cruz 60 Woodland Clinic 250 Woodland and Davis 240 Woodland Hospital 250 Woodland 175
SEIU is the largest and fastest growing health care workers union in the nation and in California. We represent over 755,000 health care workers nationally, including nursing, professional, technical, paramedic and service classifications. Our mission is to achieve secure, affordable, high quality health care for all.
CONTACT: Dave Bates of SEIU California, +1-510-773-8950
SEIU California
CONTACT: Dave Bates of SEIU California, +1-510-773-8950
Web site: http://www.seiu250.org/
