VALLEJO, Calif., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The most recent in a string of SEIU UHW settlements at Sutter-owned hospitals, caregivers at Sutter Solano Medical Center achieved a tentative contract agreement today with management. UHW members who work as Licensed Vocational Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, Respiratory Care Practitioners, Surgery Technicians and other hospital classifications, have been without a contract since their last one expired at Sutter Solano on May 31, 2004. The tentative agreement contains the same workplace rights and patient care standards recently negotiated at several other Sutter hospitals, including Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland and St. Luke’s Hospital in San Francisco. UHW members first won an industry standard contract at a Sutter-owned hospital last fall after nine weeks of strike at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco.
“Today we won a real voice in staffing, which will allow us to work with hospital management to improve the quality of care at Sutter Solano. And with our new training and upgrade fund, I now have the opportunity to enhance my skills as a caregiver,” said Glenda Huezo, who has worked as a Personal Care Attendant at Sutter Solano Medical Center for six years. “My coworkers and I also recognize that this settlement would not be possible if CPMC caregivers had not led the way with a 60-day strike in San Francisco last fall.”
The tentative agreement between UHW members and Sutter Solano features third party arbitration to resolve staffing disputes between management and hospital workers and ensure all Sutter Solano hospital floors are supported by an adequate number of caregivers. The contract agreement also affords UHW members a training and upgrade fund to encourage career advancement. Caregivers also secured the right to a fast and fair NLRB election for non-unionized hospital workers who wish to join UHW without being intimidated and harassed by hospital management. All of these standards are already recognized at most Northern California hospital systems, including Kaiser, Catholic Healthcare West, and Daughters of Charity.
The contract also features a minimum 18% wage increase for UHW members over the life of the contract, plus an additional 6% for certain job classifications. The increases bring wages at Sutter Solano Medical Center in line with those offered at other local hospitals, including Kaiser. The contract is set to expire on June 30, 2008, a date held in common with Sutter- owned CPMC, Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Sutter Delta Medical Center, and St. Luke’s Hospital.
UHW members at Sutter Solano Medical Center will vote to ratify the contract on Tuesday, February 21st.
SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West, with more than 140,000 members, is the largest and most powerful healthcare union in the Western U.S. We represent every type of healthcare worker, including nursing, professional, technical and service classifications. Our mission is to achieve high quality healthcare for all.
CONTACT:
Thea Lavin c.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/
