FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 28, 2018

CONTACT: Terry Carter, (805) 312-0024

Glendora, CA—A large delegation of Registered Nurses from Glendora Community Hospital hand delivered a petition to Parrish Scarboro, the hospital’s new CEO, with the signatures of an overwhelming majority of the RNs. The petition demanded recognition for their newly formed Union.

RNs at Glendora voted back in May to form their Union with SEIU Local 121RN. They were motivated and united by a desire to fight for patient safety and better working conditions that will allow them to provide the highest quality patient care.

“We want a voice in decisions that affect our patients and our profession,” said Bryan Sherratt, an RN in the Geriatric Psych unit. “For example, hospital management just introduced drastic staff reductions, adding to delays in attending to basic patient needs, such as toileting, medications and water. The patients in my unit are especially vulnerable. I’m afraid we’re going to see a rise in falls and injuries.”

RNs say they are deeply committed to the Glendora community and to their patients. They want to use their collective voice and their strength in numbers to address profound concerns they have about safe hospital staffing levels, conditions in the building (such as malfunctioning air conditioning), and respect for experience on the job.

“In our rapidly changing healthcare world, California’s nurses continue to make patient safety our number one priority,” said SEIU Local 121RN President Gayle Batiste, RN, a Certified Nurse, Operating Room at Northridge Hospital Medical Center. “The RNs of SEIU Local 121RN stand with Glendora RNs in their efforts to have a real voice in their hospital.”

After delivering their petition, the RNs left the building chanting “We’ll be back! We’ll be back!” RNs say they are determined to be heard.

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Service Employees International Union, Local 121RN represents nearly 9,000 registered nurses and other healthcare professionals at 27 hospitals and facilities in Los Angeles and surrounding counties. This member-led organization is committed to supporting optimum working conditions that allow nurses to provide quality patient care and safety.