CHEU Quarterly Roundup: Spring 2022

Submitted by ADonahue on

Shasta Regional Medical Center

With our current contract expiring we have begun bargaining and preparations for our contract campaign. Our Facility Bargaining Council (FBC) is now in place and has been working on collecting surveys. The feedback already indicates and confirms what we all know, raising patient care standards is a priority. See our support flyer here. United, we are prepared to fight for improvements we need to provide the highest quality care.

Kindred San Gabriel Valley and Kindred Baldwin Park

Kindred San Gabriel Valley and Kindred Baldwin Park kicked off bargaining on April 5th at one table alongside the CNA members at Kindred Westminster and are working on improvements for all. Healthcare workers are working on a petition on safe staffing at Baldwin Park, workers at both campuses are celebrating winning a wage increase for several LVNs-this is on the heels of wage increases for food service and EVS won in January. Congratulations on a big victory!

Children’s Hospital Oakland

As CHEU at Children's Hospital Oakland moves toward the last year of the current 5 year contract, techs are preparing for the fight that’s upcoming. Safe Staffing and wages that recruit and retain are issues that will be at the forefront for bargaining. UCSF is dragging its feet by being slow to replace and to hire new techs.

Sufficient medical equipment is a top priority and the fact that the hospital still does not have a modern MRI is a problem for our patients. By comparison the same employer at UCSF Mission Bay has 2 MRI machines. CHEU & CNA have a working campaign to “Keep Care in Oakland” to make sure the East Bay gets its fair share of resources.  

CHEU Alta Bates Summit Medical Center

On March 22, 2022, ABSMC Healthcare workers and Nurses held a strike authorization vote at multiple campuses. This action sent a strong message to Sutter, with CHEU's results tallied at 100% YES.  Healthcare workers and Nurses have been in negotiations with Sutter since June of 2021.  We continue to fight for safe staffing to allow Healthcare workers and nurses safe and therapeutic care for patients, pandemic readiness protections, presumptive eligibility for workers compensation and workplace violence protections. Healthcare workers and nurses are not backing down and will strike for a fair contract!

Methodist Hospital of Southern California

CHEU members at Arcadia Methodist Hospital have had a busy few months!  While we continue to bargain for a fair contract, CHEU members have put pressure on the Hospital by authorizing a strike!  Following the announcement of the strike authorization, the Hospital reached a settlement agreement with CHEU on several ULPs.  This tremendous victory includes:

  • Removal of Discipline for 3 CHEU members, and back pay with interest for an unjustified suspension – these members are very public supporters of the Union, and the disciplines were clearly retaliatory.  Two of them are members of our bargaining team!
  • Backpay for former CHEU members that did not receive their 2021 merit increase
  • MHSC will be required to post notices in the Hospital and on their Intranet.  They are also required to email, and mail the notice to all staff addresses on file.  The notice confirms that MHSC will not discipline or deter CHEU members from participating in their Union activities, and clarifies that the Hospital will respect CHEU members’ rights to their Union, and will bargain in good faith with CHEU

These exciting victories have ignited a new wave of enthusiasm and we are excited to continue work towards a final agreement.  CHEU members will wear red in support on the upcoming bargaining dates and continue attending weekly “Contract School” sessions, where they receive the most updated information on bargaining, and receive education on contract language and interpretation.

San Gabriel Valley Medical Center

For the past 2 years, CHEU members had been fighting for a fair contract that adequately addresses the safety issues that were exposed throughout the pandemic.  After an overwhelmingly supportive strike authorization vote (99.8% yes!) and the delivery of a ten-day strike notice, AHMC agreed to our demands for language changes and fair wages.  After ratifying our CBA in January, CHEU leaders have been busy educating members on the new language changes we won.  Our victories included:

  • 3 year agreement with 4% ATB in year 1, 3.25% ATB year 2, 3.5% ATB year 3 with wage scale movement each year
  • Increase to Lead differentials
  • Improvements to Health & Safety language (includes cohorting of patients with infectious diseases, improved language on additional training for staff, and a PPC meeting with Admin within 48 hours of the declaration of a state of emergency)
  • No takeaways to our Education Benefits
  • New Side-letter that gives CHEU the right to picket if AHMC refuses mediation for unresolved grievances

Currently, CHEU members are engaged in a fight against a bad boss in the Radiology & Respiratory departments.  Leaders are collecting signatures on a virtual petition that we will present to AHMC corporate to demand that the toxic management be removed.  Please see attached for photo of CHEU members celebrating our successful picket leading up to our strike authorization vote.

Glendale Memorial Hospital

CHEU members are celebrating several victories at Glendale Memorial Hospital over the last few months. We won a campaign in EVS for safer cleaning chemicals and PPE when using chemicals, we have added a new CHEU rep in the monitor tech department, and on 3/16 we successfully added three new classifications to our bargaining unit! 100% yes Vote. This effort was successful through collaboration of CHEU and CNA. Healthcare workers have an ongoing fight to hire staff which has resulted in extra shift incentives and referral bonuses for EVS dept.

Palomar Health

Solidarity actions and a grievance fight unfolds as negotiations intensify for CHEU members at Palomar Health. CHEU members are standing up and fighting back against one of the most vicious anti-union campaigns at Palomar Health. We are staying united by pledging to vote yes in an upcoming strike vote to authorize the negotiations team to call a strike if necessary, testifying in grievance hearings about discriminatory targeting of CHEU for wearing stickers that say, “Staff Up, End Crisis Staffing” and fighting back against the employer's efforts to silence the voices of caregivers by banning stickers and threatening discipline.

Additionally,  caregivers at Palomar Health are attending Strike education to prepare for a possible historic first ever strike at the Palomar Healthcare District. Stay tuned!