Union Nurses fought hard for the Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard. It was specifically created for a time like this. And yet our hospital didn’t effectively follow its safety guidelines, leading to illness and unnecessary transmission. Click »»» here to learn more about our fight for the ATD standards.
Years earlier, we fought hard for and won safe needles/sharps and their disposal. »»» here to learn more about our fight for safe sharps.
As with any of our victories—the laws we’ve won, the articles in our contracts, agreements we’ve reached in Labor/Management committees—we must enforce them, or they’re meaningless!
Our Union and our Stewards relentlessly followed up with Cal/OSHA, leading to months of investigations that now result in the following fines: |
- The hospital failed to safely dispose of sharps in the Cardio Vascular Department. Fine of $5,060.
- The hospital failed to include adequate details, job classifications, procedures and other necessary elements in its safety plan to protect staff and patients from aerosol transmissible diseases (such as COVID-19). Fine of $13,500.
Remember:You can’t be retaliated against for giving information to a government agency (like CDPH, Cal/OSHA, BRN, NLRB, etc.) about violations of laws or regulations. Immediately notify a Steward or our Union Rep/Organizer if you experience retaliation. |
Questions? If so, talk with a Union Steward or contact our Union Rep/Organizer Tracy Andrews at (818) 379-5616, andrewst@seiu121rn.org