A delegation of St. Joseph Hospital of Orange registered nurses, local religious leaders, and community supporters will deliver a petition to CEO Steve Moreau today at 11:00 a.m., calling for the restoration of long standing employee benefits, including disability and retiree healthcare plans, that were recently cut.

The RNs say that the slashing of benefits combined with reduced patient services, layoffs and increasingly unsafe patient staffing conditions is resulting in an exodus of long-term experienced nurses and an inevitable decline in the quality of patient care.

Despite making $43 million in net income after expenses in 2013, St. Joseph Hospital laid off 152 employees in February, closed its blood bank, reduced services and hours of outpatient clinics, and decreased the use of unit secretaries, nursing assistants and resource RNs who provide break relief in the hospital.

“We will be presenting a petition to Steve Moreau, the CEO of Saint Joseph Hospital, with hundreds of signatures from employees all over the hospital,” Diane Brody, an RN who works in the recovery room.

What:         St. Joseph RNs and Community Delegation to CEO
When:        Monday, September 15, 2014, 11:00 a.m.
Where:       St. Joseph Hospital of Orange—Front Entrance 1100 West Stewart Dr. Orange, CA

“When I came to Saint Josephs 11 years ago, it was the best place I had ever worked, said Brody. “The multiple layoffs have reduced our ability to provide safe care considerably. Some units have mandatory overtime for the nurses and some have unsafe staffing due to lack of RNs and overworked RNs. We are here today to protest the multiple cutbacks to our staff, and join together to uphold and maintain the values of this hospital.”

“The capability of carrying out the mission of St. Joseph Hospital is changing”, said Wendy Ellis, an RN who works in the mother and baby unit. “In recent months we have suffered cuts to our staffing levels and benefits, which has negatively impacted our ability as nurses to deliver the excellent care our patients deserve.”

In August, SJHS announced the elimination of the retiree health plan, decreased contributions to retirement plans, the elimination of a disability reserve to cover planned or unexpected medical leaves, and the loss of one-week of paid time off for employees who worked at the facility for more than 15 years.

St. Joseph RNs are in the midst of an organizing campaign to join the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU).  CNA/NNU already represents RNs at St. Joseph Health System hospitals in Apple Valley, Eureka, Napa, and Petaluma. CNA/NNU has recently filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board against SJHS for violating nurses' federal rights to speak out for their patients.

“I have devoted 33 years of my life to serving our community as an RN at St. Joseph Hospital,” said Madeleine Del Villar. “After all that time, management is taking away important benefits for long-time employees. These cuts were imposed without any warning or discussion. I feel that I am being forced to leave the bedside, where I belong with my patients, before my time. That’s why it is imperative that St. Joseph RNs win the right to join CNA/NNU, and the right to advocate for our patients, our profession, and our community.”