SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Gavin Newsom today joined a chorus of public officials urging Sutter Health to accept a Federal Mediator’s recommendation to settle a contract with caregivers and avoid a strike that is set to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 13.
Speaking to the Leadership Conference of the Service Employees International Union, Newsom declared that the proposal by Mediator David Weinberg of the Federal Mediation and Conciliatory Service is a fair compromise and commended caregivers for agreeing to it. “For the sake of our residents, a resolution of this dispute must be reached that will require both parties to accept compromises.”
Newsom’s statement came a day after two of California’s leading public officials, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, urged Sutter to settle under terms proposed by the Mediator. Also issuing statements supporting the caregivers on Friday were Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown and Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates.
“It’s unconscionable for Sutter to remain on a collision course with an open-ended strike when a reasonable alternative has been recommended by an impartial mediator,” Brown said in a statement.
Some 4,500 caregivers, represented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West, issued a 10-day strike notice on Sept. 2, setting in motion a formal process that could lead to the nation’s biggest open-ended healthcare strike in nearly 20 years. Another 3,500 healthcare workers, including nurses represented by the California Nurses Association, are poised to join the caregivers in a sympathy strike.
“We are gratified to receive the support from all the mayors, as well as from Senator Boxer and Representative Pelosi,” said Sal Rosselli, SEIU UHW president. “It points up the fact that caregivers want a compromise agreement that benefits our patients. We don’t understand what’s wrong with Sutter Health that it would force a strike instead.”
In her statement Thursday, Pelosi said the impartial mediator’s proposal “provides caregivers with a real voice in staffing decisions to ensure that patients come first, establishes a training fund to meet their education and training needs, and guarantees that patient care dollars will not be wasted fighting employees who wish to join the union.”
The 140,000-member SEIU United Healthcare Workers - West is the largest healthcare union in the western United States and represents every type of healthcare worker, including nurses, professional, technical and service workers.
CONTACT: Thea Lavin 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/
