SEIU 121RN members also use their collective voice to make their hospitals more safe, for frontline healthcare professionals and the patients in their care. Whether we are negotiating contracts at the bargaining table or lobbying for legislation in Sacramento, we are driven by a singular mission–to ensure that our patients’ lives are prioritized over hospitals’ profits. This year, we have already had several victories to advance that goal.
On August 13th, an overwhelming majority of Nurses at Anaheim Regional Medical Center voted YES to join SEIU 121RN. Three-hundred ARMC Nurses, who have never had a union before, will now get to sit as equals with management at the bargaining table to negotiate their very first union contract–our strongest tool to advocate for patient safety.
ARMC Nurses who led the campaign organized with their co-workers for months, and together they overcame their fear of speaking out to demand what all workers deserve. Read our press release for more.
Last week, the California State Senate passed our “Secure Hospitals for All” bill, AB 2975, which will now head to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. The law aims to reduce or eliminate the presence of deadly weapons in all California hospitals, by requiring the installation of metal detectors at three key points where weapons can be brought in–the main entrance, the entrances to the Labor and Delivery and Emergency Departments. The bill further requires that appropriate trained personnel–not healthcare workers–staff the metal detectors and perform searches of patients belongings.
The passage of AB2975–which was inspired by a horrific stabbing at our Encino Hospital Medical Center in 2022–was made possible by members who visited with legislators to share concerns about their safety.
This year, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued 29 fines to hospitals for violations of Nurse-to-patient ratios under SB 227, the Stop Repeat Offender Hospitals bill which we won in 2019. After the COVID-19 pandemic ended, CDPH was slow to begin levying fines on hospitals, so we launched our Patients Can’t Wait campaign to pressure regulators to finally enforce the law.
The fines are intended to act as a deterrent to hospitals from cutting corners on patient safety–and in that respect, we know that there is much more to be done. We’ll keep the pressure on, but we are encouraged by the evidence that CDPH will fully enforce the law.
Whether you are at work in the hospital today, or enjoying some time off with your family, we hope that you’ll take a moment to reflect with pride about the many victories your union brothers and sisters have achieved, and all that will come in the future.
