Workers at Daughters of Charity Hospitals Voting on New Contract
Labor Desk
October 24, 2009
Employees at O´Connor Hospital in San Jose reach agreement with higher wages, better benefits.
San Jose, CA – Hospital workers at five Daughters of Charity Hospitals – including O´Connor Hospital in San Jose – are voting today and tomorrow on a new contract that improves their wages and benefits and maintains high standards for patient care.
The agreement was negotiated by the 34 union members who serve on the union bargaining team. Itwill cover the nearly 2,500 members of the Service Employees International Union, United Healthcare Workers – West (SEIU-UHW) who work at the five facilities in a variety of positions, including respiratory care practitioners, certified nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses, radiology technicians, lab technicians and environmental services workers.
The agreement also includes strong labor-management provisions that allow workers and management to work out issues and make sure the hospitals serve both patients and staff.
"We stayed united as SEIU-UHW members and showed management that we are serious about maintaining quality staff and quality care at our hospitals," said Roberto Gallardo, a licensed vocational nurse at the St. Francis Hospital and a member of the bargaining team. "It´s exciting to reach an agreement that is good for everyone in the hospital."
Workers at the hospitals had gone 20 months without reaching an agreement. Their contract campaign included informational picketing and a series of unity actions at each of the five facilities. The agreement will help DOC hospitals attract and maintain the high quality staff necessary to provide the best patient care.
"It has been a long time coming, but this agreement will ensure that our hospitals continue their reputation as good places to work and good places to receive care," said Tess Guinto, a certified nursing assistant in the surgical acute care unit at Seton. "We stuck together and in the end our voices were heard."
The contract covers workers at Daughters of Charity system facilities in both Northern California– O´Connor Hospital in San Jose, Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, Seton Medical Center in Daly City and Seton Coastside in Moss Beach – and Southern California – St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood.
San Jose, CA – Hospital workers at five Daughters of Charity Hospitals – including O´Connor Hospital in San Jose – are voting today and tomorrow on a new contract that improves their wages and benefits and maintains high standards for patient care.
The agreement was negotiated by the 34 union members who serve on the union bargaining team. Itwill cover the nearly 2,500 members of the Service Employees International Union, United Healthcare Workers – West (SEIU-UHW) who work at the five facilities in a variety of positions, including respiratory care practitioners, certified nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses, radiology technicians, lab technicians and environmental services workers.
The agreement also includes strong labor-management provisions that allow workers and management to work out issues and make sure the hospitals serve both patients and staff.
"We stayed united as SEIU-UHW members and showed management that we are serious about maintaining quality staff and quality care at our hospitals," said Roberto Gallardo, a licensed vocational nurse at the St. Francis Hospital and a member of the bargaining team. "It´s exciting to reach an agreement that is good for everyone in the hospital."
Workers at the hospitals had gone 20 months without reaching an agreement. Their contract campaign included informational picketing and a series of unity actions at each of the five facilities. The agreement will help DOC hospitals attract and maintain the high quality staff necessary to provide the best patient care.
"It has been a long time coming, but this agreement will ensure that our hospitals continue their reputation as good places to work and good places to receive care," said Tess Guinto, a certified nursing assistant in the surgical acute care unit at Seton. "We stuck together and in the end our voices were heard."
The contract covers workers at Daughters of Charity system facilities in both Northern California– O´Connor Hospital in San Jose, Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, Seton Medical Center in Daly City and Seton Coastside in Moss Beach – and Southern California – St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood.
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