The picketers, who are represented by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, rallied over patient care concerns. They ultimately want contract terms in line with what workers have at Tenet’s JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio, Calif., and Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Calif., according to the report.
“We want to have the support from our hospital,” Marla Williams, a certified nurse assistant who helped organize the picket, told the Hi-Desert Star. “We care about our patients. We just want to be treated fairly in our jobs.”
Hi-Desert Medical Center officials said in a statement to the publication: “While we recognize the union’s right to conduct informational picketing, we are disappointed that it is taking this approach before giving the bargaining process a chance.”
“We began negotiating a first contract with the union in February, and have had only four bargaining sessions to date. We will continue to negotiate in good faith in hopes of reaching a successful resolution with the union,” the statement reads.
Negotiations are slated to continue.
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