Dear SEIU 121RN Member:
As we reported in last week’s bargaining update…
HCA walked away from negotiations.
They didn’t want a reporter and elected officials to hear the stories that you all were going to share, and have been sharing, about unsafe staffing that affects patients and delays care, as well as safety issues and lack of PPE. We had notified them first thing that morning that we would be introducing proposals on:
- Safe staffing—sufficient nurses, licensed professionals and support staff for these roles
- Workplace safety—Staff having required PPE throughout the hospital (not recycled and not expired)
- A new article on how to deal with Public Health Emergencies to protect employees, patients and visitors as well as providing you the needed resources during health crises
Then, after refusing to negotiate (which is legally required under the federal National Labor Relations Act), they accused us of refusing to negotiate. Unbelievable.
And speaking of refusing to negotiate…
HCA canceled next week’s negotiations.
They are holding you hostage. They want Nurses and licensed professionals to agree to keep bargaining behind closed doors. It’s understandable. When negotiations and proposals are out in the open, then others—your colleagues, the media, elected officials interested in safety—will hear HCA’s excuses for why they can’t safely staff their hospitals or provide adequate PPE, despite sitting on mountains of cash.
To be clear, there is no law that prohibits other Union members or non-member guests from attending. We have never had ground rules prohibiting non-Bargaining Team Members from attending negotiations.
To try to accommodate HCA, we agreed to not invite guests to negotiations if they provided evidence to substantiate their claims that it’s somehow “unlawful.” We told them that, otherwise, it’s just an excuse to delay bargaining and to prevent the participation of members and guests who will hear the stories of what you all are going through at work. So far, despite our repeated requests, they have not provided us evidence of any law to support their claims and have actually refused to do so—because there is none.
Make no mistake: HCA has UNILATERALLY canceled negotiations.
We will continue to escalate with public and other actions while the legal process runs its course.
Questions?
Speak with a Bargaining Team Member, Union Steward or your Union Rep/Organizer: LOS ROBLES—Corey Clark, (805) 253-2357, clarkc@seiu121rn.org RIVERSIDE—Jennifer Sanchez , (626) 437-6976, sanchezj@seiu121rn.org WEST HILLS—Shamora Freeman, (626) 841-6431, freemans@seiu121rn.org
In Unity, Rosanna Mendez Executive Director, SEIU Local 121RN