1,100 Hospital Workers on Strike for Better Care, Better Jobs
Caregivers call on CHI-Franciscan invest in Pierce County
TACOMA – CHI Franciscan should care for Pierce County patients, not Denver executives. That’s why 800 nursing assistants, Licensed Practical Nurses, unit secretaries, dietary workers, housekeepers, sterile processors, and other service workers at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and 330 service and technical workers at St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood went on strike this morning, standing up for better jobs and better care. CHI Franciscan, which made $165 million in profit last year, is cutting its commitment to frontline care, leaving patients and the community behind.
“The cutbacks are making it hard for us to give the level of patient care we feel our patients deserve,” said Crystal Thompson who works in sterile processing at St. Clare Hospital. “CHI Franciscan can afford to do so much better, for our patients and for our families.”
The strike follows months of bringing concerns to the negotiation table where the caregivers stood alongside community activists in calling on CHI Franciscan to fix its broken charity care policy and invest in Pierce County patients and workers. Following little action from CHI Franciscan, caregivers felt there was no other alternative but to stand up for patients and our community by striking.
“If it was not for this community, if it were not for their workers, the Franciscans wouldn’t be making the millions they’re making,” said Pastor Gregory Christopher of Shiloh Baptist Church. “They’re making millions off of us and yet only want to put peanuts back into our community.”
The workers, members of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, are calling for improved staffing, increased investment in frontline caregivers, a charity care policy that keeps patients out of debt, and an end to unfair labor practices. Their strike began at 7am this morning when the workers walked out and began chanting and picketing.
“I was proud to be part of St. Joe’s thirty years ago,” said St. Joe’s LPN Carol Opland. “But I’m not proud any more. I’m going on strike to get that pride back, to help my family and my community.”
The enormous profitability of the CHI Franciscan system over past more than six years has not resulted in an increased investment in caregivers. Instead, the company is taking its own staff to collections due to inability to afford their own healthcare and is reducing the number of environmental service staff who are the frontline of infection protection.
The strike will last 24 hours, after which workers will return to their jobs, aiming to go back to the bargaining table stronger and more united. More information at www.StandforPierceCounty.org. Photos available at https://www.facebook.com/SEIUHealthcare1199NW