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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 22, 2006
CONTACT:
Thea Lavin
510-520-7732

SEIU Caregivers Vote to Strike with Registered Nurses at John Muir Medical Center, Concord Campus



Concord – Yesterday evening, caregivers voted overwhelmingly to honor the picket lines of a potential strike by Registered Nurses represented by California Nurses Association (CNA) at John Muir Medical Center-Concord Campus. The caregivers, who are represented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West, will honor the picket lines, or “strike in sympathy,” for up to two days if Registered Nurses go on strike. The R.N.s voted to authorize their strike on September 7 th, but have not yet set a date.

In the last year, SEIU caregivers have called two strikes of their own at John Muir Medical Center, Concord Campus, the most recent transpiring last August 29 th and 30 th. SEIU UHW caregivers are fighting for an industry standard contract that allows caregivers to provide the best patient care possible. Caregivers frequently struggle to care for patients on dangerously understaffed hospital units and are fighting to have a real say in determining safe staffing levels.

UHW caregivers, who work at John Muir Medical Center, Concord campus as Licensed Vocational Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, Respiratory Therapists, Dietary Aides, and other healthcare classifications, have been working without a contract since their last one expired on October 15, 2005. Management continues to refuse invitations by the workers to return to the bargaining table.

In addition to safe staffing guidelines, UHW caregivers are fighting for a ban on subcontracting healthcare jobs to the lowest bidder and guidelines to prevent unnecessary layoffs. Every other major hospital system in Northern California has already agreed to an industry standard contract, including Kaiser, Sutter, Catholic Healthcare West, and Daughters of Charity.

 

 

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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.