Approximately 1,800 employees across four local Prime Healthcare establishments are planning a five-day strike starting on Monday, October 9. Their claim is that management has failed to address hazardous working conditions and poor patient care resulting from a shortage of staff.
If no labor agreement is reached, this unfair labor practices strike will disrupt operations at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center, as well as Encino Hospital Medical Center.
Also see: Day 3: Kaiser unions threaten another strike if demands aren’t met
The group going on strike includes licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, medical assistants, ER techs, and others who are represented by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West. Their contracts expired in June and August, and currently, no further bargaining sessions have been scheduled.
At St. Francis, 600 registered nurses who are represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals will join the strike for one week. Although their contract expired on August 14, labor negotiations are scheduled to take place on October 12 and 17.
Bernie Espinoza, an ultrasound tech at the Garden Grove facility, expressed his exhaustion and the pressure on him and his colleagues due to the critically low staffing levels.
“Staffing has been so critically low that many caregivers have left,” Espinoza said. “The remaining workers are stretched thin and rushed. We’re forced to take on more patients with less staff, which leaves much less time for quality one-on-one patient care.”
Prime spokeswoman Elizabeth Nikels stated in a press release issued on Friday that the company is negotiating in good faith with the unions to reach an agreement that benefits the hospitals, employees, and patients.
“Proposals have been delivered to the unions that would increase wages and provide comprehensive benefit programs, including healthcare, that is among the best in the nation at little to no cost to employees,” she said.
Nikels added that healthcare systems across the country are facing staffing challenges due to the national nursing and healthcare worker shortage.
“Despite this, enormous efforts have been made to hire, recruit, and retain our valued staff and create a workplace that feels like community,” she said.
Prime Healthcare, based in Ontario, acquired St. Francis through bankruptcy in 2020. Nurses claim that since the acquisition, management has terminated 20% of experienced nurses, reduced the pay of those who remained by 12%, and imposed a three-year wage freeze during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Healthcare operates healthcare facilities in 14 states across the United States.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
