SEIU-UHW members hold a rally on Labor Day to talk about labor shortage and the stress that has occurred while working
The members will go on strike October 4th for a few days after negotiations with Kaiser Hospital executives have collapsed
Oakland- Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) held a rally in Mosswood Park, where members of the union talked and then walked around a block next to the Kaiser Mosswood building, chanting and expressing their displeasure over the contract negotiations. Many members feel like there is a staff shortage, and low compensation for work that makes their environment dangerous for themselves and their patients.
Deru Carthan, SEIU-UHW executive committee member and lead radiologic technologist at Kaiser Modesto, feels like a workers shortage means lack of time to work with patients.
“We have relationships usually with our patients and because of short staffing we can’t have those types of relationships,” said Carthan, “We don’t have the time.”
If authorized on September 30th, the strike of SEIU-UHW will involve 75,000 members and possibly the biggest healthcare strike in California and possibly America.
SEIU members traveled from many parts of Northern California. There were similar protests from SEIU members in Los Angeles and San Diego at the sametime. Roughly two dozen members were arrested for civil disobedience in Los Angeles.
SEIU-UHW members talked on the podium and then walked next to the various hospital buildings chanting “Hey, Hey Ho Ho We Fighting For Patients, Don’t Ya Know?”’
“I say Kaiser, You say Greed. Kaiser, Greed.”
The walkers were ecstatic, saying these chants with blow horns and raised voices. Kaiser had orange barriers up with security guards outside the hospital. SEIU protestors marched around the barriers blowing their horns.
Erin Chinchilla, respiratory therapist, gave a shocking account of a situation. She recalled being the only respiratory therapist on the floor. Usually, there are two. He didn't have time to notify patients’ families about their potentially deadly situation.
“Many times the ER tech is there to assist and get the doctor equipment, but we were short-staffed, so the doctor was scrambling, looking for equipment to intubate this patient,” said Chinchilla. “At that moment I told the doctor to stop, we need to call the family and let the family know what we are doing because this may be the last time they hear his voice. Normally, that's what we do. We let the family know what's going on, but we were short-staffed and scrambling.”
She said this experience, along with many others, has caused her to cry when she leaves the hospital. She fears for her patients’ life when they are not in her care.
Joseph Brown, interventional radiology tech at Sutter Roosevelt, said hospital executives are “busy in their offices paying attention to spreadsheets while members are on the floor thinking about heart beats.” He believes in a world where the staff members are treated right.
“If we had enough staffing, our members wouldn't have to decide whether to go in feeling burnt out and sick because they are worried about their patient …being taken care of,” said Brown.
Sonya Allen Smith, radiologic technologist lead and SEIU-UHW member, stresses that all healthcare jobs are important.
From Environmental Services (EVS) personnel to nurses,"said Smith, “we make the hospital run, so we have quality care for our patients.”
The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates shortages in “other specialties,” including radiology, to range from 10,300 to 35,600 physicians.” There is also burnout because fewer people are going into the medical field, causing people to either work long hours or retire early.
Smith also emphasized the CEOs have received compensation from the pandemic while frontline workers have not.
“They didn’t receive a bonus this year. Management gets a bonus,” said Smith. “Pay the workforce people a quality wage, so they can provide quality care. A healthcare worker shouldn’t have three jobs.”
Despite the CEOs getting paid 17 Million and the workers not getting paid, hospitals are still a financial burden for patients , according to Carthan.
“So our patients are feeling it,” said Carthan. “That is why we are here today, to make sure patients at Kaiser-Permanente receive the care they need.”
As of right now, the workers are not on strike. As of last week, 98% of SEIU members authorized a strike. “For weeks, Kaiser sent us messages telling us to reject a strike. Their millionaire executives implied we were imagining the delays in care our patients are experiencing and ignored the fact that our families are struggling more and more to keep up with the rising cost of living,” Miriam De La Paz, a labor and delivery unit secretary at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Downey, California,stated in the press release.
A few days ago, members of SEIU-UHW sent a ten-day notice to Kaiser, saying they plan to strike Oct 4 for three days. As of right now talks have gone down and the date is solidified to walk. Here is the link to what they are doing once October 4th happens.
Members are asking the community to support them in joining the picket line if that does happen. “If the workers don’t get it, we have to shut it down,” said Brandon Dawkins, SEIU-UHW member.