OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by the Health Care Workers Union, SEIU 250:
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR THURS., DEC. 2 What When Where Summit Medical Center, 350 Hawthorne at Webster, Press conference Oakland with Mayor Jerry Brown 6 AM (Bet. B’way & Telegraph) San Francisco Supervisors San Francisco City Hall, hold hearing on lockout 1 PM Polk St. Candlelight vigil for Alta Bates Medical Center, locked out caregivers 6 PM 2450 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley
Today, workers will be joined by Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown to denounce Sutter’s expected 4-day lockout of 4,000 caregivers at 13 facilities. The lockout is intended to punish caregivers for standing up for higher patient care standards at Sutter Health, the most profitable health care corporation in Northern California.
Later, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing at which patient advocates, clergy, community leaders and workers will testify as to the grave consequences that a lockout of this magnitude and scope will have on Bay Area patients.
“Locking out health care workers is extremely harmful for patients,” said Shayne Silva, a licensed psych tech at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center who has been a health care worker for over 24 years.
The lockout follows a hugely successful one day strike during which 7,000 registered nurses and caregivers struck together in a powerful show of unity. There was close to 99% participation in the strike. Workers also traveled to Sacramento to call on the Governor to not delay implementation of the vital RN-to-patient staffing ratios. Then thousands marched to Sutter General and denounced the hospital giant for lobbying against the ratios and not accepting patient care standards.
“It’s unconscionable that Sutter would stop my co-workers and me from taking care of our patients because we had the courage to stand up for our patients,” said Darnita Goodman, who has been a nurse assistant at ABSMC for the past 15 years.
Every major hospital system in Northern California except Sutter has accepted standards designed to protect patient care, including a voice in staffing for caregivers and a training fund. Sutter has been bargaining in bad faith by refusing to negotiate these standards, and that is why workers struck.
“This lockout is yet another sign that Sutter will always put its ruthless pursuit of power and profits before the needs of patients,” said Sal Rosselli, SEIU 250 president. “This corporation made $465 million in profits last year and its CEO got a 62% raise to $2,339,546. All the while, the state and federal government as well as a private accreditation agency are finding an epidemic of patient care violations in Sutter hospitals. Everyone can now see what’s wrong with Sutter.”
With 100,000 members, SEIU 250 is the largest and fastest growing health care union in the Western U.S. We represent every type of health care worker, including nursing, professional, technical, paramedic and service classifications. Our mission is to achieve high quality health care for all.
SEIU 250
CONTACT: Dave Bates of SEIU 250, +1-510-773-8950
Web site: http://www.seiu250.org/