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Home » Some East Bay Health Care Workers To Strike Next Month

Some East Bay Health Care Workers To Strike Next Month

by CLAYCORD.com
33 comments

Health care workers at two East Bay centers are planning to strike next month because of understaffing, poor working conditions and unfair labor practices, union officials said.

Workers at Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch and John Muir Health Behavioral Health Center in Concord said that conditions where they work are dire and managers are ignoring workers’ concerns about understaffing.

“We’re burnt out, we’re exhausted, and we can’t go on like this,” said Bertha Lopez, a unit secretary at John Muir Health Behavioral Health Center, in a statement. “John Muir needs to address the understaffing issues that have made working conditions impossible here.”

“We’re drowning. There’s just not enough staff,” said Jennifer Stone, an emergency room technician at Sutter Delta Medical Center, in a statement. “We’re wearing too many hats – we’re talking down angry COVID patients then we’re rushing to a code then we’re talking to family members who just lost a loved one. We can’t give adequate care.”

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Workers say limited staffing predates the COVID-19 pandemic following years of decisions by managers.

Workers in a variety of jobs plan to strike, including mental health counselors, emergency room technicians, phlebotomists, psychiatric technicians, and among others respiratory therapists.

The union representing the workers is Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West.

33 comments


Anonymous September 18, 2021 - 11:08 AM - 11:08 AM

Nothing says “I care about patient care” more than striking and degrading patient care even further.

Bubba September 18, 2021 - 1:28 PM - 1:28 PM

Nothing says “I don’t care about health care workers” like idiots who won’t take a vaccine or wear a mask that will keep them out of the hospital in the first place. Sit down.

Inside mole September 18, 2021 - 1:40 PM - 1:40 PM

Nothing says “we’re dedicated to providing quality care to the community we serve” like not staffing departments to serve the community.

Yes, but September 18, 2021 - 1:52 PM - 1:52 PM

Much of the staff shortage is caused by healthcare workers who aren’t allowed to work because they won’t get the shot.
Now you can sit down Bubba!

Gump September 18, 2021 - 2:14 PM - 2:14 PM

Nothing says “I don’t care about healthcare workers” like opening up a border for COVID to walk in and scatter unvaccinated like roaches across the country. Currently thousands of Haitians are entering our country at the border and FYI, Haiti has a 1% vaccination rate. Fact check that, Bubba.

Chicken Little September 18, 2021 - 2:17 PM - 2:17 PM

Hey Bubba,
How do you explain all the healthcare workers who don’t want to get the vaccine?

Dr Jellyfinger September 18, 2021 - 3:24 PM - 3:24 PM

Gump,

Don’t forget measles!
They are bringing in alota cases of measles too!
I haven’t seen any numbers on TB yet, but just wait & see.

Anon September 18, 2021 - 3:42 PM - 3:42 PM

Chicken little,
I explain the nurses as Smart. They DO NOT want the Experimental jab after witnessing the life altering reactions it has done to others.

As for there being staff shortages…..Welcome to the ‘great’ reset. It will never get better, it will get worse once the workforce is unable to work due to the jab.
It also doesn’t help that you have the usual scumbags abusing the whole covid thing…..taking off ten days every two weeks claiming that they were “exposed”.

Anonymous September 18, 2021 - 4:54 PM - 4:54 PM

The hospitals will use the “nursing shortage” to argue for even more H-1B nurses from the Philippines.

That is, if there are any H-1Bs left after the Indians take them all for the tech industry.

Me September 18, 2021 - 9:53 PM - 9:53 PM

@Yes, But

That is such a lie… Most of them are already vaccinated. Now sit down

@Anon

Keep calling that even though it’s been over a year and a half since we had these vaccines. 380 million+ with 1 shot and only 15k issues. That is less then most other vaccines and medication side effects. Also, Saying it will never get better is also wrong. The smart ones got the proven shots. The ones that didn’t get it will not be able to work anyways cause they will most likely be to sick.

Dr Jellyfinger September 19, 2021 - 7:30 AM - 7:30 AM

Will everyone who read “Me’s” post and wasn’t already sitting down, please raise your hand. ✋

Janus September 18, 2021 - 12:12 PM - 12:12 PM

Funny my Wife works for Kaiser in Claycordland and she complains endlessly about how Kaiser doesn’t have enough staff to fulfill their mission despite racking in $11.4 million is COVID-19 relief funds from the Fed and are a billion dollar company.

Not enough staff to answer phones, call back patients or at times even register patients. Doctors, nurses and staff quitting/retiring but not being replaced. Kaiser sight directors who believe patients should not be seen for any reason other than emergencies because COVID is just too dangerous even though, for example, patient such as ones suffering with chronic pain and need injections still have chronic pain but cannot get in to be seen. They just suffer with the pain. If they dare turn to something like marijuana and it shows up in their blood test, they are dropped from the pain management program for “addictive” behavior.

Yet SEIU wants Kaiser to give all their members a $10K “Hero” bonus… not going to turn it down but why exactly would they deserve a bonus other than to share the windfall? Does the clerk at the grocery store or garbage man get a 10K bonus for doing their jobs?

Kaiser is requiring proof of vaccination from their employees. If not than the employee goes on a 90 day unpaid leave of absence pending termination. Anecdotal, there sure seems to be a lot of Kaiser employees who are not vaccinated. This is going to exacerbate the employee shortage problem.

Name me another business that by law you are required to purchase yet the business determines the level of service you receive… if any service at all?

I fear this shortage is going to get much worse before it gets better and it is going to affect everyone at some point.

Yoyohop September 18, 2021 - 1:11 PM - 1:11 PM

Wait… Why are the Covid patients angry?

Captain Obvious September 18, 2021 - 1:29 PM - 1:29 PM

Because they got COVID!

Captain Bebops September 18, 2021 - 2:24 PM - 2:24 PM

Hmm, they didn’t specify the status of the angry Covid patients. Vaccinated or unvaccinated? Maybe vaccinated and angry because the “vaccines” don’t seem to work. The unvaccinated are generally very aware of what’s going on and if they get sick often know what to do to stay out of the hospital.

The Observer September 18, 2021 - 1:48 PM - 1:48 PM

Where are all of these additional nurses and other staff people supposed to come from? These staff shortages are virtually nationwide.

Cowellian September 18, 2021 - 4:20 PM - 4:20 PM

My neighbor is quitting her job as an ER nurse to become a traveling nurse for a lot more money.

Anonymous September 18, 2021 - 1:54 PM - 1:54 PM

Shhhh… but MDUSD teachers are also having discussions about striking as well.

Oh, please September 19, 2021 - 12:03 PM - 12:03 PM

Let them! We left that crap hole. I hope it continues to burn like the dumpster fire it is.

Cellophane September 18, 2021 - 2:09 PM - 2:09 PM

Staffing!

Every business is experiencing problems with staffing.

Health Care workers are not immune.

They are overworked and underpaid.

Corporate Hospitals are getting $$millions from the government and pocket a great deal of the cash just like the government.

Without regard to the welfare of the employees or the patients.

That won’t change until the Unions take action to protect their workers from corporate and government corruption.

While it will be interesting to see how this strike plays out, we are all paying the price for allowing this to happen.

Only the people speaking loudly and forcefully can change the corruption.

Tj September 18, 2021 - 2:32 PM - 2:32 PM

Wimps

Raiderette September 18, 2021 - 2:42 PM - 2:42 PM

Maybe if the hospitals would stop being so picky about hiring and hire those who have little to no experience they could possibly get more staffing. My husband and I perfect examples, we have little experience working in the hospitals and they won’t seem to hire us. Wouldn’t it be common sense to hire someone with little to no experience and then train them to how you want them to do things?

Bob September 18, 2021 - 4:09 PM - 4:09 PM

This right here

Bob Kazamakis September 19, 2021 - 12:03 AM - 12:03 AM
Anonymous September 18, 2021 - 5:00 PM - 5:00 PM

I am told by friends in the industry that many hospitals are losing staff or are experiencing strikes over the — and I hate to use the word — disproportionate pay received by travel nurses. Travel nurses can make three times the pay of full-time nurses and that is prompting full-time staff to quit or strike for more pay.

Sam September 18, 2021 - 11:25 PM - 11:25 PM

obama brought the immigrants to vaccinate your kids. If you don’t know, now you know.

tashaj September 19, 2021 - 4:37 PM - 4:37 PM

That’s true – the pay travel nurses are getting, especially during Covid, is nothing but obscene.
However, the situation is more complicated. First, CA nurses union pushes through a couple of laws to mandate RN/patient ratios. With the promise that CA patients will be receiving the best care in the world with the outcomes to match. As a result of these laws, CA faces permanent shortage of nurses, so that without travel nurses hospitals will close.
20 years later there are plenty of studies showing that staffing mandates do exactly nothing to improve patient care and outcomes. As anyone who had the misfortune to visit an ER or a hospital in CA can attest. The only result is that the cost of healthcare in CA is growing quicker than in other states. Average healthcare cost (insurance premiums + deductibles) went up by ~$3,000 from 2017 to 2021 alone. To put things in perspective, CA went from ranking 30th in healthcare cost to ranking 4th.
CA example is the main reason why staffing mandate laws and ballot measures failed in other states, like MA.
So now we have other unions making a push for increased staffing. Because – why not? If nurses can make a killing, “emergency room technicians” (WTF is that? A glorified janitor?) can do too.

Stukatz September 18, 2021 - 5:40 PM - 5:40 PM

With Biden’s Vax Mandate, things will get worse with Healthcare Workers getting terminated for not getting Jabbed. Sh*t is about to hit the fan if it already hasn’t.

Martinezmike September 18, 2021 - 5:44 PM - 5:44 PM

Saw rhe strikers today with their piclet signs, at Kaiser martimez

Graceful September 18, 2021 - 10:22 PM - 10:22 PM

Last year they closed half the wards in the hospitals,a hosptial had 100 icu beds but cut them in half last year, then had 50 patients, they could honestly say they were at capacity.Thats how they manipulated t stopped elective surgeries and cut the number of beds in half in ICU’s.and laid off or put their staff to work at HOME. Now they are understaffed? How about they open up the wards again and bring the staff back in…btw..if heir counts on in patients..thats how bean counters work at the hospital level

Worried September 19, 2021 - 12:06 PM - 12:06 PM

Cry me a River making money hand over a fist getting big bucks with overtime still getting all your benefits your lifelong retirement do your job and shut up you have it a lot better than most people

BWIZZLE September 19, 2021 - 5:52 PM - 5:52 PM

BINGO!

Obamavirus September 19, 2021 - 1:10 PM - 1:10 PM

The healthcare workers were used big time during fake virus pandemic
The fake media made that stupid dancing nurses commercial and then made the nurses go through the absurd theatre of constant testing and PPE fetish and mask fetish behaviors and then the numbers came out about empty ICU
I hope the real story comes out from some of them during the strike
I would like the real story from behind the scenes at the politicized CCHealth to come out also


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