More than 100 healthcare workers at Watsonville (Calif.) Community Hospital will strike beginning June 14, according to a union news release.
The workers, represented by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, will participate in the three-day strike "to protect patient care and protest the hospital's unfair labor practices," the union said. Workers allege the hospital plans to unilaterally cut healthcare benefits for the workers.
"It seems Watsonville Community Hospital would rather see its patients taken care of by less experienced staff than retain the highly trained workers it has now," Chris Gil, a surgical technician at WCH, said. "My children were born at this hospital and it pains me to think we may have to leave the community just so I can work for a hospital that cares more about its patients and workers."
The union said the upcoming strike affects 160 workers, including certified nursing assistants, clinical laboratory scientists and laboratory technicians, among many others.
In an emailed statement to Becker's, the hospital said a key sticking point in negotiations is management’s request that union workers start contributing to the health insurance premiums for themselves and their families.
"The SEIU had agreed during the last round of negations for their contract which recently expired that SEIU-represented personnel would contribute to their healthcare premiums once all other unions at the hospital agreed to do the same," the hospital said. "In the meantime, we have negotiated new contracts with all of the other unions, and, currently, all other non-SEIU union members and non-unionized staff contribute to their health care premiums. SEIU members do not pay toward their monthly premiums and receive free prescriptions and hospital services when provided at Watsonville Community Hospital. The hospital management team is simply proposing all staff pay at the same level to ensure equity among all employees."
The hospital went on to express disappointment in the planned strike, but has a contingency plan in place and is "fully prepared to continue providing uninterrupted care" throughout the strike.
"As always, our top priority remains the care and safety of our patients, employees and visitors," the hospital added.
This will be the second recent strike at WCH. Workers also participated in a one-day strike in May.
The strike is scheduled to begin at 4 a.m. June 14.