UHW Healthcare Workers to Strike at Five Hospitals

    Daughters of Charity Health System Bargaining in Bad Faith



    LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15 /EMWNews/ -- Healthcare workers at

five hospitals operated throughout California by the Daughters of Charity

Health System are planning a one-day strike on Aug. 28.



    Caregivers represented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West have been

bargaining a new contract with the health system since March. But

management has refused to make any economic proposals, and is attempting to

take away the voice of healthcare workers in staffing decisions, which

could negatively impact patient care.



    "We want to do what's best for our patients, but management is

bargaining in bad faith and trying to take away our voice at work," said

Claudette Mandin, a certified nursing assistant at Saint Louise Regional

Hospital. "We're going on strike because it's necessary to show Daughters

management that we won't sit by and let them take away our voice in

improving patient care."



    Workers are planning to strike at the following facilities: O'Connor

Hospital in San Jose, Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, Seton

Medical Center in Daly City, Seton Coastside in Moss Beach, and St. Francis

Medical Center in Lynwood. The 24-hour strike will begin at 6 a.m. on Aug.

28.



    Healthcare workers at the five hospitals voted overwhelmingly in June

to authorize an unfair labor practices strike, after contract negotiations

slowed. Hundreds of caregivers also picketed outside Daughters of Charity

hospitals on July 2.



    With more than 150,000 members, SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West is

the fastest-growing healthcare union in the United States. We represent

healthcare workers in all job classifications and all healthcare settings,

including hospitals, homecare, nursing homes and clinics. Our mission is to

achieve high-quality healthcare for all.