Some union workers at Desert Regional, other Tenet hospitals vote to authorize strike
Some health care workers employed by three hospitals in and near the Coachella Valley are among the thousands of unionized employees who voted to authorize a strike today, saying the conglomerate that operates the hospitals has rejected workers' proposals to beef up coronavirus-
related safety precautions.
The proposed strike by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West would affect 4,300 union employees at 11 facilities statewide owned by the Dallas-based, and publicly traded, Tenet Healthcare Corp. This includes Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio and Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree.
Union officials accused Tenet Healthcare on Tuesday of rebuffing most of their proposals regarding personal protective equipment, increased testing and other protocols aimed at protecting staff against the coronavirus, accusations the heath care company labeled a misleading negotiating tactic.
"We are scared to come to work knowing we are at great risk of exposure to COVID-19," said Gisella Thomas, a respiratory therapist at Desert Regional Medical Center. "We want to work with management at our hospitals to increase protections for our health, our patients' health, our families' health, and the health of our communities. We have put forth a pandemic safety proposal that addresses issues workers are concerned about, like staffing, PPE, and increased COVID-19 testing for employees."
Tenet nurses have held various rallies during the pandemic calling for more COVID-19 protection.
Last month, several Desert Regional nurses spoke to I-Team investigator Peter Daut making numerous claims against the hospital. Alleging is not doing enough to protect them from coronavirus. But the hospital maintains that is not true.
No strike date is set yet. The union, which represents non-nursing support staff such as X-ray technicians, must first notify Tenet Healthcare 10 days before striking. Steve Trossman, a union spokesman, said the vote paved the way for the union negotiating committee to call a strike.
The strike, if called, could begin as soon as early November, he said.
A spokesman for Tenet Healthcare, meanwhile, refuted the union's accusations, saying company and union representatives have been negotiating since May, and have made "considerable progress" in that time.
"We are disappointed the union has used this tactic in an attempt to
put pressure on our hospitals when our focus remains on caring for our
communities during the pandemic,'' said Todd Burke, a company spokesman.
"We are committed to continuing to negotiate in good faith with SEIU-UHW and to reaching a fair and equitable resolution,'' he added.
Burke said negotiations are still ongoing. If a strike proceeds, Burke said Tenet Healthcare's hospitals will remain fully operational, with patient care uninterrupted.
The proposed strike would affect hospitals in the following California cities and communities:
-- Indio, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital;
-- Palm Springs, Desert Regional Medical Center;
-- Joshua Tree, Hi-Desert Medical Center;
-- Lakewood, Lakewood Regional Medical Center;
-- Los Alamitos; Los Alamitos Medical Center;
-- San Luis Obispo, Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center;
-- Templeton, Twin Cities Community Hospital;
-- Manteca, Doctors Hospital of Manteca;
-- Modesto, Doctors Medical Center;
-- Turlock, Emanuel Medical Center; and
-- San Ramon, San Ramon Regional Medical Center.
