Healthcare Workers Union Members Are Successful in Getting Management to Negotiate over Proposed Staffing Changes

Despite threatened layoffs from hospital management, Mercy Medical Center workers in Redding were able to prove to hospital management that the sending out of layoff notices was in violation of their contract. Mercy Medical Center workers, members of the Service Employees International Union’s United Health Care Workers West (SEIU UHW), convinced their employer to rescind the lay-off notices that were issued last week to 24 certified nursing assistants and unit coordinators employed at the facility. Hospital management agreed to bargain in good faith over proposed changes to the workers’ contracts, and both parties met at their first bargaining session on Tuesday, April 12th 2005.

“When we explained to management that they were violating their contract with us in four different ways, they  realized it was in their best interest to discuss any possible staffing changes with us before unilaterally implementing their decisions,” said Sally Vetsch, unit coordinator in the intensive care unit at Redding Medical Center for 25 years. “Getting our employer to rescind layoff notices is a huge victory for the employees of Mercy Medical Center, it would be incredibly difficult for us to function as a high quality hospital without these essential caregivers.”

After talks with hospital employees and UHW officials, hospital management also agreed to continue the employment of Emergency Medical Services workers who were a part of their Air Ambulance program, which is slated for closure on May 8th, 2005. EMS workers will have the option to continue in paramedic positions at the hospital and there will be no layoffs of air ambulance personnel.