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UNAC Leaders Honored
June 2, 2009
Pictured: (left to right) Kathy J. Sackman, RN, Sonia Moseley, NP, Delima MacDonald, RN; Not pictured: Barbara Blake, RN
UNAC/UHCP President Kathy J. Sackman, RN, Treasurer Delima MacDonald, RN, Secretary Barbara Blake, RN, and former state officer Sonia Moseley were honored with 57 other women for their contributions to the labor movement in Orange County on May 27th.
Titled “An Evening to Honor Heroines Among Us: Past, Present & Future,” the Orange County Labor Federation, in partnership with the AFL-CIO, presented Season Five of the play “Speaking Up!” in Buena Park at the UFCW Local 324. Starring Orange County women labor leaders and activists, the play highlighted the labor struggles of several women such as Mother Jones, Anne Moody, and Dolores Huerta.
After a reading of an original poem by Irvine City Councilwoman Beth Krom, Sackman, MacDonald, Blake, and Moseley received Certificates of Congressional Recognition for their outstanding leadership and advocacy for women’s issues from Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and Assemblyman Jose Solorio.
Nurses Union Testifies to Congress Regarding Swine Flu
Registered Nurse union member highlights need for protections in the workplace for health care professionals
May 11, 2009
Miguel Garcia, a Registered Nurse (RN) member of UNAC/UHCP, testified on Thursday, May 7, regarding the H1N1 influenza before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor at a hearing on “Ensuring Preparedness Against the Flu Virus at School and Work.”
“Because I work in the Emergency Room at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, my fellow RNs are on the frontline of fighting the current outbreak of the swine flu,” stated Garcia. “I am testifying on behalf of UNAC/UHCP because we represent thousands of nurses and other health care professionals who need consistent protections in the workplace.”
Currently there is no comprehensive federal standard to require employers to protect health care workers from an airborne virus like H1N1 or tuberculosis. There are OSHA and CDC guidelines, but to date these guidelines have only been voluntary.
“In many respects my employer is the exemplar in preparedness,” said Garcia. “However, many health care employers have not taken the necessary steps to prepare and protect health care workers from a flu pandemic or the current outbreak of the H1N1 flu infection.”
Utilizing its nationally recognized Labor Management Partnership, Kaiser has engaged its union partners to closely monitor the evolving flu situation and its impact on patient and worker needs, rapidly adapt guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monitor respiratory protection programs and implement an aggressive program of worker and member hand washing – which is vital to reducing flu infection and progression.
Nurses Union Successfully Supports Bill for Presumptions in Workers Compensation for Direct Healthcare Providers
UNAC/UHCP political director makes a case for AB 664 to create new presumptions in workers compensation for dangerous working conditions of direct health care providers
April 30, 2009
UNAC/UHCP Political Director Jimmy Gomez testified before the California State Assembly Insurance Committee on April 22, 2009, in support of AB 664 regarding new presumptions in workers compensation for direct healthcare providers. The bill passed in committee by a vote of 7 to 3.
Authored by Nancy Skinner, assembly member for the 14th District, AB 664 provides that back or neck injuries, MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), and other blood-borne infectious diseases be presumed under workers compensation to be job related if suffered or contracted by direct healthcare providers.
“Registered Nurses, like any other direct healthcare providers, have an increased likelihood of exposure to certain injuries and illnesses due to the nature of their work,” stated Gomez. “The safety concerns posed under these working conditions, particularly considering the physical nature of patient care provision and the increasing number of patients with more severe conditions, must be taken into account under workers compensation laws.”
Nurses rank third in the number of work days missed due to illnesses and injuries, according to a study conducted by the 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics. While current infection control measures attempt to control the spread of blood-borne infectious diseases like MSRA, one of the most virulent types of antibiotic-resistant staph infections, the measures cannot completely eliminate these serious job-related threats.
“Passage of AB 664 shows a respect for and understanding of the inarguable risks registered nurses and other direct healthcare providers encounter when caring for families throughout California,” said Gomez. “We hope that the Committee on Appropriations will come to the same conclusion as we continue to support better and safer working conditions through AB 664 and other similar bills.”
PARKVIEW REGISTERED NURSES RATIFY FIRST UNAC/UHCP UNION CONTRACT
April 21, 2009
13 months of prolonged negotiations ends in a clear vote by
nurses to ratify their first union contract, which will restore
5% pay cut by management and guarantee nurses
a voice in the workplace
On Friday, April 17, Parkview Community Hospital Registered Nurses voted to ratify their first union contract with UNAC/UHCP after 13 months of prolonged negotiations with hospital management. Parkview RNs ratified the contract by an overwhelming majority. Upon approval by the hospital’s Board of Directors, the new 2-year contract will restore Parkview management’s unilateral 5% pay cut of RN wages and guarantee nurses a voice in the workplace.
“Parkview RNs have worked long and hard toward achieving our first contract and gaining a voice in the workplace,” stated Penny Brown, an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “We are glad that we will finally have the opportunity to work alongside hospital management to make Parkview a premiere provider of quality patient care for the Riverside community.”
The new contract will restore a 5% wage cut taken out of nurses’ salaries by management in October of 2008. UNAC/UHCP filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against Parkview for applying the cut without making a good faith effort to bargain with the nurses’ representatives, and the National Labor Relations Board found merit in the charges and issued a formal complaint against the hospital. During a trial that began on Monday, April 13, UNAC/UHCP and Parkview management came to a mutual agreement to finalize the contract in lieu of continuing the trial.
“Parkview RNs are happy that hospital management finally understands the value of respecting the voice of nurses in the workplace,” said Kathy Sackman, UNAC/UHCP president. “We all look forward to an effective partnership with Parkview management moving forward and to promoting the most efficient provision of high quality patient care possible at Parkview.”
One vital component of the new Parkview RN union contract is the creation of a Registered Nurse Advisory Committee (RNAC) that will meet on a monthly basis to discuss various issues impacting nurses in the workplace and their ability to provide patient care. The RNAC committee will serve to promote advancements in patient care and satisfaction throughout the hospital.
The federal judge presiding over the unfair labor practices case against Parkview will resume the trial should the hospital’s Board of Directors fail to approve the contract that the nurses ratified on Friday.
UNAC/UHCP PROMOTES LANDMARK REPORTING FOR NONPROFIT HOSPITALS
April 17, 2009
UNAC/UHCP supports new reporting requirement for non-profit hospitals that for the first time will provide data on charity care on a cost basis
UNAC/UHCP representatives appeared before the California Board of Equalization on Wednesday, April 15, to support a first of its kind supplemental reporting requirement for non-profit hospitals in an effort to improve disclosure requirements. The Board voted to implement the supplemental reporting requirement.
The Board of Equalization has sought to access more reliable data to justify the millions of dollars spent by taxpayers on California’s non-profit hospitals. As a regulatory agency over these entities, the Board has a fiscal responsibility to the state’s approximately 37 million residents to assure non-profit hospital’s compliance with Board requirements. The Board has determined that supplemental reporting would make regulatory reviews more effective and transparent.
“The nurses and health care professionals we represent are dedicated to improving the quality of care for their patients,” stated Kathy Sackman, RN, UNAC/UHCP president. “Supplemental reporting for non-profit hospitals promotes an environment of greater transparency and greater accountability to California’s taxpayers and will create a more efficient health care setting focused on maximizing these tax dollars to the benefit of the patients who utilize these services.”
Recently, the California State Auditor conducted a study that found that the uncompensated-care costs provided by California’s nonprofit and for-profit hospitals were not significantly different. The State Auditor also found it virtually impossible to quantify the economic value provided by California’s nonprofit hospitals due to a lack of uniform reporting requirements.
“It is vital that appropriate reporting methods are in place to ensure transparency within any health care system that is funded, in large part, by taxpayer dollars,” said Sackman. “Californians want to know that their taxes are being used wisely, and the supplemental reporting requirements for non-profit hospitals is a significant step in that direction.”
Nurses Union Applauds Passing of
SB 294 Nurse Practitioners Bill
Nurses union officer testifies at Business and Professions committee meeting, aiding in the passage of bill to clarify the scope of practice for nurse practitioners
State Secretary, Barbara Blake, RN, testified at the California Senate Business and Professions Committee on Monday, April 13, in support of SB 294 to clarify the scope of practice for nurse practitioners. The bill passed in committee.
“California holds more restrictive regulations than any other state on the nurse practitioner (NP) scope of practice,” said Blake. “NPs are highly trained and prove to be valuable additions to the health care team and help improve access for patients. NPs should have the opportunity to exercise all of their skills to provide the highest quality of patient care possible, and SB 294 will help our health care system more effectively utilize NPs existing skill set.”
SB 294 will clarify the NP scope of practice to include: the signing of disability certification for patients who need documentation for their employers; being able to order durable medical equipment; and placing orders for treatment in home care environments.
“These artificial barriers to the NP scope of practice are an ineffective use of existing resources, particularly considering the current staffing shortage in hospitals,” stated Blake. “If the health care system is going to become more efficient, we have to best utilize all of our resources.”
UNAC/UHCP Physician Assistant Helps Patients Achieve Their Goals
Cyril Thomas knows a hero when he sees one and Ryan Gonzalez is definitely it.
Thomas, a physician assistant in the Emergency Department at Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center, met Ryan years ago when he was being treated for harlequin ichthyosis, a rare skin disorder that's usually fatal at birth. Ryan is the oldest living child in the world with this disorder.
Of course, he'd much rather be known as a tough triathlete.
Thomas helps Ryan achieve his athletic goals by volunteering for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an organization which helps people with physical disabilities compete in the sports they love.
"Ryan is an inspiration to all of us and the reason I do this work," Thomas said.
The physician assistant's desire to help others also takes him to many third world countries where he volunteers for medical missions to help repair children with cleft palates and facial deformities.
"I believe we all have a purpose in life, and this is mine," said Thomas, who learned the importance of volunteering from his parents, especially his father who was killed while on a humanitarian relief mission when Cyril was only two years old.
Thomas continues in his father's footsteps in spite of the perils he may encounter in remote and dangerous parts of the world.
"Cyril is an absolutely selfless man," said Leah Frank, a service assistant in San Diego's Emergency Department. "He always puts himself out there for others and never asks for anything in return."
Courtesy of the Kaiser Permanente Everyday Heroes Program
UNAC/UHCP Backs Obama Health Care Efforts
Barbara Blake, RN
UNAC/UHCP State Secretary
April 7, 2009
Nurses and health care professionals support president Obama and comprehensive health care reform at regional White House forum
UNAC/UHCP backed President Obama’s efforts to broaden the dialogue on achieving affordable health care for all at the regional White House Forum on Health Care Reform, held in Los Angeles on Monday, April 6.
UNAC/UHCP has long advocated that reform of the health care system take a multi-faceted approach, including expanding health care for all, providing individuals with a choice of quality plans (both private and public), and controlling the rising medical costs.
“Health care providers and unions including UNAC/UHCP have been working for health care reform for a very long time. We have to increase access, affordability and quality of care now,” said Barbara L. Blake, Registered Nurse and State Secretary for UNAC/UHCP.
As health care professionals, members of UNAC/UHCP know that preventative health care can reduce costs by treating patients before their health problems escalate. Early intervention means care is less difficult, less invasive and thereby less costly. But the only way most people can get preventative care is if they have access to the health care they need.
“It’s time for comprehensive health care reform,” stated Blake. “You pay now or you pay later, and later is always more expensive and usually more painful.”
UNAC/UHCP Hires New Political Director
Jimmy Gomez, Political Director
Jimmy Gomez is the new Political Director for UNAC/UHCP as of March 2.
Gomez will develop and manage the overall direction of the union's political program, including introducing and monitoring legislation, maintaining relationships with elected officials and key staff, and directing the UNAC/UHCP PAC.
"Now more than ever, it's vital that elected officials heed the voices of health care professionals when making decisions that affect our society," says Kathy J. Sackman, RN. "We made that clear when our union successfully mobilized for safe staffing ratios, and we're thrilled that Jimmy is going to help us amplify our voices in today's crucial policy debates."
Gomez brings to UNAC/UHCP more than a decade of political experience in Washington, D.C., and California. Most recently, he has been California's political action representative for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), UNAC/UHCP's parent union.
He has also worked for the National League of Cities, the Democratic National Committee, L.A. City Councilman Michael Feuer, and Secretary of Labor-Designate Hilda Solis when she was a member of Congress. Gomez graduated from UCLA and earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
"Year after year, polls show that the public holds nurses in high esteem when it comes to integrity," says Gomez. "It will be my job to make sure that legislators know when they listen to nurses, they are listening to the voices of their constituents."
Photo by Eve Rojas
Activists March for the Freedom to Form Unions
February 9, 2009
RNs Deirdre Kirkwood, Minerva Aller dela Fuente,
Helen Bouman and Carol Westerman march for
the rights of working people to form unions
free from employer harassment
A little rain—ok, a downpour—did not dampen UNAC/UHCP activists’ enthusiasm for the freedom to form unions. More than 20 activists joined with hundreds of fellow union members on February 5 for a 10-mile march through Los Angeles in support of the Employee Free Choice Act.
“I used to work at a hospital that didn’t have a union,” said Helen Bouman, RN, a UNAC/UHCP activist at Garden Grove Hospital. “The director was allowed to bully the employees. Until people see that, they don’t understand how important it is to have a union.”
The Employee Free Choice Act would create a fairer process for union organizing by establishing stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations, providing mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes, and allowing employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation.
UNAC/UHCP member Deirdre Kirkwood told KPCC radio about her experience of getting fired for union organizing at Parkview Community Hospital. “It’s against federal law to fire someone for forming a union,” Kirkwood said. “But there’s not really much justice attached and that’s one reason why we need to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.” Today, Kirkwood has a job at Kaiser Riverside, where doctors and managers work with—not against—union members on Unit Based Teams to improve efficiency and patient care.
In this economy, “workers have to look out for each other now more than ever,” said marcher Carol Westerman, RN, who works in the nursery at Fountain Valley Medical Center. “People need to be able to talk about issues freely.”
Greal Yumul was among the UNAC/UHCP nurses who staffed the medical van, tended to marchers’ blistered feet and headaches along the route. “As a nurse who is unionized, I know my job is secure,” said Yumul, who works at the Kaiser South Bay Emergency Room. “Everyone should have that security.”
There Is A Better Way
Asela Espiritu, RN, lets lawmakers know that
there is a better way to ensure workers’ rights
The day before the L.A. march, UNAC/UHCP activist Asela Espiritu, an RN at Kaiser Orange County, travelled to Washington, D.C., to speak out at the AFL-CIO’s rally for the Employee Free Choice Act.
Espiritu joined UNAC/UHCP through a majority sign-up process, thanks to the landmark Labor Management Partnership between Kaiser and its unions. She told ralliers that all working people should have the same opportunity she’s had, free of coercion and intimidation and able to bargain for a better life and better conditions in the workplace.
“The Employee Free Choice Act will empower workers within all kinds of industries. They’ll be part of the solution to the crisis we’re in,” Espiritu said, her words captured on the AFL-CIO blog and on YouTube. “As unionized workers, we have a voice with management. We’re on equal footing. It helps workers, it helps our patients, and it helps our company.”
Espiritu also earned attention on the AFSCME blog, and you can watch her tell her story in this video as well.
Take Action
Take action to support workers’ freedom to have a voice on the job. Email Senator Dianne Feinstein today and ask her to co-sponsor the Employee Free Choice Act.
Photos by Karina Leon and Bill Burke
UNAC/UHCP Urges Quick Confirmation of Hilda Solis for Secretary of Labor
February 3, 2009
Saying that now more than ever, “we need a secretary of labor who understands the relationship between reinvigorating our economy and fixing our broken health care system,” UNAC/UHCP President Kathy J. Sackman, RN, called on California’s two senators to do whatever they can to move forward the nomination of Hilda Solis for this important post.
In letters to Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, Sackman praised Solis’ work as a fighter for the middle class and for access to quality health care. President Barack Obama nominated Solis for labor secretary earlier this month, but some senators have stalled a vote on her confirmation.
Read the full text of the letters to the senators here.
Parkview Nurses Pray for Fair Contract Resolution
Father Alforque offers words of encouragement to Parkview nurses as they pray for a fair contract
January 26, 2009
Lifted up by inspiring words and songs of the civil rights movement, Parkview Community Hospital nurses gathered Monday morning for a prayer service as they continue bargaining for a fair contract and a voice on the job.
“The Catholic Church supports the rights of workers to organize,” Father Benjamin Alforque of St. Catherine of Alexandria told the nurses gathered at Hunt Park, a block from the hospital in Riverside. “It is part of your human dignity. Your work is part of God’s creative work. We are with you in this struggle.”
Father Alforque read a passage from the book of James that describes how the powerful are held to account for their treatment of working people: “Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord.”
Pastor Jaime Kim, an organizer for Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, also prayed with the nurses. “Give us strength during these contract struggles. Continue to guide us so we can be leaders in this community.”
“All religions support the right to organize and fight for a fair and just community,” Kim said. “The work you do as nurses and leaders in the hospital helps our community. It is unfortunate you have come under such hardship. You are standing up for justice.”
After voting to join UNAC/UHCP in February 2008, the Parkview nurses have been negotiating their first contract since April, but hospital administrators are dragging their feet.
“I’m inspired by the support we got today and hopeful we’re going to get a contract signed,” said Cynthia Pama, RN in Parkview’s Telemetry department. “It was important to come together today to show we are united.”
Photo by Eve Rojas
March and rally February 5 for Freedom to Choose a Voice on the Job!
January 21, 2009
As health care professionals, our first priority is our patients. Our patients count on us to be their advocates. Because we have a voice on the job through our union, we know we can speak out without putting our livelihoods at risk.
Choosing to join a union shouldn't mean getting fired. But employers fire thousands of working people every year when these workers try to come together for a voice on the job.
It happened in our union just a year ago, when administrators at Parkview Community Hospital realized RN Deirdre Kirkwood was active in a campaign to join UNAC/UHCP for a voice at work. The administrators fired Deirdre with no notice, telling her she had "poor morale" even though she had a spotless work record. A security guard brought Deirdre her purse. She wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to her co-workers on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
We need strong labor laws that protect dedicated health care professionals like Deirdre. The Employee Free Choice Act would restore fairness to the union organizing process so workers don't have to put their jobs and livelihoods on the line just to have a voice at work.
Come to a march and rally to ask U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein to co-sponsor the Employee Free Choice Act.
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2009
Time: 9 a.m. march begins at the L.A. County Federation of Labor, 2130 W. James Wood Blvd., L.A., 90006
March ends at the Federal Building in Westwood, 1350 S Sepulveda Blvd., L.A., 90025
5 p.m. rally at park behind the Federal Building in Westwood
For more information and to RSVP, contact UNAC/UHCP Organizing Director Kyle Serrette, kyle@unac-ca.org .
A Victory for Nurses’ Rights at Sharp
December 19, 2008
UNAC/UHCP members at Sharp HealthCare in San Diego have won a significant victory. An arbitrator on December 17 ruled that Sharp is required to allow a union representative to attend meetings and represent bargaining unit members in those meetings with the employer when members are seeking accommodation because of their medical or physical limitations, and when the union member requests union attendance.
The arbitrator said that Sharp violates the union contract when it refuses to let a union rep attend these meetings and directed Sharp to allow union reps to attend and participate in these meetings. In short, the arbitrator has ruled in the union’s favor and re-affirms members' right to have a union rep present at meetings where work accommodations due to medical or physical limitations are discussed.
This victory comes as a result of a grievance UNAC/UHCP filed earlier this year. Nurses at Sharp who have any questions should call their staff rep at the UNAC/UHCP office, 619-280-5401.
Nurses Say, “We Love Parkview, Stop Stalling Our Contract”
Lt. Gov. Garamendi Rallies with Care Givers
Thursday, Dec. 11
RNs Penny Brown, Linda Hippolyte and Joanna Nichols
speak out for their first union contract
Surrounded by chanting supporters and buoyed by a rousing speech from California’s lieutenant governor, nurses from Parkview Community Hospital rallied and marched this morning, calling on hospital administrators to stop stalling and finish negotiating their union contract.
“Parkview nurses have Parkview’s best interest at heart,” said Penny Brown, a nurse in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). “We just want to have our voice heard in the workplace. And in order to do that, we need to finish negotiating our first union contract.”
The 250 nurses at Parkview voted in February for a voice on the job with UNAC/UHCP and have been negotiating since spring. Now that talks have reached a crucial juncture, Parkview administrators and CEO Doug Drumwright are stalling.
“It is possible to work out a contract that works for both sides,” Lt. Gov. John Garamendi told rally goers, “so let’s get on with it!” Garamendi noted that other hospitals in the area had constructive working relationships with the union nurses at their facilities. “Workers have the right to organize and negotiate a contract,” Garamendi added. “That’s a basic American right.”
Parkview nurses said they want a contract so they can have a voice in safeguarding the hospital as a vital health care resource for the Riverside community. “We do not fight because we are disloyal to Parkview, but rather we fight for its success and its potential to thrive,” said Linda Hippolyte, a med/surg nurse. “It is about helping us improve the quality of patient care at our community hospital.”
Parkview nurses are asking their supporters to call CEO Drumwright at 951-352-5400 and tell him to stop stalling and finish negotiating the contract so caregivers can get back to their top priority: providing quality care to their patients.
Lt. Gov. John Garamendi bolsters the nurses’ cause
with his inspiring words
Photos by Russell Miller and Eve Rojas
A Patient Speaks Out for Parkview Nurses
December 11, 2008
Alma Abreo and daughter Selina, flanked by their nurses, Deirdre Kirkwood and Penny Brown
“My name is Alma Abreo. I have cerebral palsy. I live about four blocks from Parkview. I came to the rally today with my daughter Selina to support the nurses in the NICU.
About four years ago, I sat down on my bed and saw that my feet were very swollen. My family took me to Parkview. They gave me all sorts of tests and didn’t find anything wrong. Then they gave me an ultrasound. That’s when I realized I had a little baby inside of me.
I was scared at first. I went to the NICU and had my baby. She was only two pounds, five ounces when she was born. The nurses helped me. They taught me how to feed and bathe her. They believed in me, especially Penny Brown. Penny was there when we had a meeting with my family and my social worker, and we decided I could live independently for the first time and take care of a little baby.
I came to the rally today because I want the nurses to be there for us. It’s my way of saying, ‘thank you.’ They need a union contract because they work so hard. They take the time to care for people, for little babies. They care about their patients, and they deserve a union contract.”
--As told to Laureen Lazarovici, UNAC/UHCP Communications Director
Photo by Russell Miller
Riverside City Council Extends Offer to Mediate Parkview Contract
December 4, 2008
Registered Nurses from Parkview Community Hospital and UNAC/UHCP staff members attended the City of Riverside Governmental Affairs Committee meeting on Wednesday, December 3 to familiarize the City Council with the multiple issues currently impacting Parkview and the ongoing negotiations of the RNs first union contract.
Due to the City Council’s vested interest in Parkview, they have committed to offer mediation services to Parkview administration and the RNs negotiating team in order to assist the Riverside community hospital with getting back to the nurses' main concern: providing quality patient care.
photo by Eve Rojas
Nurses on Top in Ethics and Honesty—Again!
November 24, 2008
For the seventh year in a row, nurses have come out on top in a respected poll of the public’s rating of ethics and honesty.
The prestigious Gallup poll, in conjunction with USA Today, asked the public to rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in different professions. An astounding 84 percent said nurses’ standards were “high” or “very high.” That’s more than any other of the 20 other professions pollsters asked about.
“Nurses have no peer in the Gallup rankings today,” says the official announcement from the polling organization. Other health professionals who rank high in the poll are pharmacists and doctors.
“The Gallup poll confirms the appreciation our members hear from their patients every day,” says Kathy J. Sackman, RN, UNAC/UHCP President. “People know that nurses and health care professionals not advocate for them at the bedside, but also in the public policy arena for safety, quality and health care reform.”
Click here to see the entire poll.
Election Victories Offer Chance to Move Our Country Forward
November 5, 2008
Hope. Progress. Change.
Union members are celebrating Barack Obama’s victory in Tuesday’s presidential election.
“After eight years of no action on health care reform and attacks on union rights, we finally have our chance to move our nation forward,” says Kathy Sackman, RN, UNAC/UHCP president. “This is an incredible victory and an incredible opportunity.”
UNAC/UHCP activists were among the 40,000 AFSCME active and retired members nationwide who knocked on more doors and made more phone calls to our co-workers and neighbors than in any previous election year.
In fact, union voters played a key role in President-elect Obama’s historic victory, delivering a critical bloc of support in swing states that helped propel Obama and other working-family candidates to big wins. Election-night polling showed that in key battleground states, AFL-CIO union members supported Obama by a whopping 69 - 28 margin, versus a general public margin of 51 - 47.
“A change has come,” says AFSCME President Gerald McEntee. “Hope is here.”
McEntee adds, “Now we must begin the urgent work of rebuilding the middle class at home; restoring America’s reputation in the world; and transforming our government into a vibrant force that solves problems, stands with American families and empowers people and communities to improve their lives.”
In other races crucial to UNAC/UHCP members, Mark Ridley-Thomas overwhelmingly won his bid to represent Los Angeles County’s second district on the Board of Supervisors, pledging to re-open Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital by January 2010. In addition, Marty Block and Manuel Perez won their races for California state Assembly.
UNAC/UHCP Members Serve the 39th Assembly District Community
Healthcare professionals administer important screening tests to families with limited access to healthcare services
Assembly Member Fuentes receives a glaucoma exam
administered by UNAC/UHCP member Julie Hwang, OD
at Kaiser Panorama City
October 22, 2008
Arleta, CA – On Saturday, optometrists, nurses, and physician assistants from the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) administered eye, glaucoma and blood pressure testing for approximately 1400 community members in the 39th Assembly District at the 2nd Annual Family Resource Fair. Held at the Branford Recreation Center, the theme for the event was “Be Healthy, Stay Safe, and Go Green.”
Sponsored annually by California State Assembly Member Felipe Fuentes, the event focuses on empowering all members of the community by increasing awareness of health, safety and environmental issues. Understanding the problems related to the lack of access to healthcare, UNAC/UHCP members provided much needed screening tests for local residents who might otherwise be unaware of existing medical issues.
“It is really rewarding to be able to provide health screenings to community members who cannot afford these important tests,” commented Julie Hwang, a doctor of optometry at Kaiser Panorama City. “The health care crisis in this country is impacting people in our community every day because they don’t have access to the medical care they need.”
Daria Smith, a nurse at Kaiser Fontana, performed a blood pressure exam on one woman that showed she had high blood pressure.
“When I told the woman that she had high blood pressure, she told me she’d already been diagnosed with the condition,” stated Smith. “She just couldn’t afford to pay for the medicine she needed to help bring her pressure into the normal range.”
To thank the UNAC/UHCP members for volunteering to help the community, Assembly Member Fuentes presented UNAC/UHCP with a certificate of recognition. Then, UNAC/UHCP members performed the screening tests on Assembly Member Fuentes.
“Access to healthcare continues to be a problem in the Northeast San Fernando Valley,” said Assembly Member Fuentes. “It is incredibly important to provide improved access to health services like these to all families, and this annual event gives members of our community the opportunity to have their families tested for illnesses and get free access to important screening exams.”
Kaiser National Agreement Reopener Approved by Huge Margin
October 13, 2008
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions (of which UNAC/UHCP is a part) and the Kaiser Permanente Partnership Group (the senior leadership team of health plan and physician executives) have approved the 2008 reopener of the 2005 National Agreement.
The union vote was overwhelming in favor of the agreement, passing it by a 96 percent margin. As part of the 2005 National Agreement, the reopener focused on across-the-board wage increases and retiree medical benefits for Coalition-represented employees. Improvements took effect as of October 1, and run through the remaining two years of the 2005 National Agreement.
The Common Issues Committee, a group of 44 KP and Union Coalition leaders, made additional agreements on performance improvement and KP growth strategies.
“This agreement is very positive and principled,” said John August, executive director of the Union Coalition. “In some tough economic times for everyone, we’ve shown that workers, managers and physicians can come together, build on our strengths and be a model for health care in our country.”
The agreement provides a series of wage increases for all Union Coalition employees, to take effect between October 2008 and October 2010. UNAC/UHCP members received details about the wage and retiree medical benefit improvement in the mail with their ballots in late September.
--Adapted from the Labor Management Partnership website, www.lmpartnership.org
Convention Delegates Navigate Into the Future
October 10, 2008
More than 500 nurses, physician assistants, and optometrists from across Southern California gathered together to celebrate UNAC/UHCP’s 33rd Biennial Convention, held at the beautiful Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California October 5 to 8. Representing 16,000 UNAC/UHCP members, delegates and alternates debated constitutional changes, elected state officers, learned new skills to make them more effective leaders—and had a lot of fun!
Delegates weighed in on the 14 proposed amendments to the UNAC/UHCP Constitution, addressing important matters such as the union retiree benefit. They voted to increase the union retiree benefit from $200 after three years of membership to $500 after five years of membership. This benefit is for all union members in good standing retiring from a UNAC-represented facility.
Delegates also re-elected Executive Vice President Ken Deitz, RN, and State Treasurer Delima MacDonald, RN. Nominations from the delegation floor made the Board of Directors race quite exciting, as the number of nominees increased from two to eight members seeking these all-important seats. Board of Directors incumbents Pamela Brodersen, an RNP at Kaiser Bellflower, and Asela Omilig-Espiritu, an RN at Kaiser Orange County, were re-elected to their posts. The newest addition to the Board of Directors is Cindy Klein, RN, Kaiser Riverside clinic co-chair.
Vital local, state, and national topics were broached in the continuing education workshops, where UNAC/UHCP members raised important questions about staffing ratios, health care reform, technology and health care, running an effective PEOPLE program, and how to be an effective leader. With business concluded, members cut loose on the dance floor after the closing banquet, where many members and UNAC/UHCP staff were recognized for their ongoing commitment and service to those they represent. Recognition also went to UNAC/UHCP President Kathy Sackman, RN, who received an award in recognition of her 35 years of commitment and service to UNAC/UHCP members.
Photo by Russell Miller
Members Make Contract Strides
at St. Francis, Kaiser
September 15, 2008
UNAC/UHCP members are making terrific strides in contract negotiations. The bargaining team from the St. Francis Registered Nurses Association won a strong new contract that includes across-the-board wage increases, new resources to help nurses further upgrade their skills and education, and the creation of a new category rewarding nurses who earn a masters degree. SFRNA members ratified the three-year agreement on September 9.
Meanwhile, negotiators from the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and Kaiser reached a tentative agreement on the re-opener of the 2005 National Agreement. Delegates from the Coalition Unions voted on September 13 to enthusiastically recommend ratification of the pact. It includes improvement in across-the-board wages and retiree medical benefits, the two topics subject to bargaining during the re-opener. UNAC/UHCP members will receive more details about the tentative agreement in the mail shortly, along with a ballot. They are asked to return their ballots by September 27.
These agreements reflect the hard work and dedication UNAC/UHCP members show their patients everyday!
Nurse Union Leaders Speak Out for Federal Safe Staffing Ratios
July 23, 2008
Nurses in California fought hard for a law to ensure safe staffing ratios, and patients are better off for it. Why shouldn’t nurses and patients all over the country benefit from this vital tool to improve health care? Barbara Blake, RN, UNAC/UHCP state secretary, traveled to Washington, D.C., recently to brief health care experts from the staffs of members of Congress about the importance of safe staffing.
“Nurses must be vigilant observers and skilled evaluators of a patients’ physical, psychological, and medical status,” Blake told the congressional staffers. “When you have too many sick patients and too few nurses, hospitals create a system vulnerable to error and near-errors.”
California’s landmark safe staffing ratios law is making a huge difference in improving this situation, making it easier to attract and retain nurses, Blake said at the briefing, sponsored by RNs Working Together, the largest organization of working registered nurses with more than 200,000 members from 10 AFL-CIO unions.
Read more about Blake’s testimony on the AFL-CIO’s blog, and download an updated flier listing the California staffing ratios.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois is trying to establish federal minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. Her bill, H.R. 2123, would decrease preventable hospital deaths and protect both patients and staff.
“This bill is not going to pass overnight,” says Steven Francy, executive director of RNs Working Together. “It’s going to be a long, hard struggle that’s just beginning.” As California nurses know, the struggle is worth it.
Union Activists to Walk from Hollywood to the Docks
The nearly 700 UNAC/UHCP members at St. Francis Medical Center are part of a special group of working people. They are among the more than 350,000 union members in Los Angeles County who will be renegotiating their union contracts this year. By working for a strong contract, the UNAC/UHCP members at St. Francis are part of a broad effort to keep the L.A. economy strong and vibrant.
From April 15 to April 17, actors, janitors, longshore workers, and many others along with community supporters will march 28 miles from Hollywood to the docks of San Pedro. These individuals will symbolize over 350,000 workers in L.A. County who, this year, will be fighting to build the middle class or move themselves out of poverty. Joining the historic Hollywood to the Docks march, organized by the L.A. County Federation of Labor, are UNAC/UHCP activists Scott Byington, an intensive care nurse at St. Francis, and Larry Rick, physician assistant at Kaiser South Bay.
“I have experienced first hand the way diminished access to health care is fraying our communities,” says Byington, in an interview posted on the event website. “We need more access to quality health care in our communities. And we need better security now so nurses and doctors can do our jobs: heal people.”
Rick says he’s walking 28 miles not only to support his UNAC/UHCP colleagues at St. Francis, but also to thank the L.A. County fire fighters for saving his home during last fall’s devastating blazes. These fire fighters are among the union members negotiating a new contract this year. “As a health care professional, I interact with Los Angeles area public servants all the time,” says Rick. “The police, fire fighters and paramedics are there for you when you are in trouble, and I must say ‘thank you’ to them all.”
Several nurses from Kaiser South Bay will be staffing a mobile medical van traveling with the walkers, who will stop for rallies and community events along the way, ending up at a huge rally at the docks in San Pedro. UNAC/UHCP activists will give thirsty walkers water at their Tuesday afternoon stop—a street theater play dramatizing the governor’s proposed budget cuts.
Check out the walk route, event schedule and interviews with walkers at www.hollywoodtothedocks.com .
Parkview Nurses Win a Voice in Patient Care
February 16, 2008
Don Griffin, RN
Choosing courage over fear after a contentious campaign, a strong majority of the 257 nurses at Parkview Community Hospital in Riverside voted overwhelmingly to join UNAC/UHCP, gaining a voice in patient care.“My colleagues and I want to create a work environment that empowers us to do what is in the best interest of our patients and profession,” said Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse Deirdre Kirkwood. “Now we can work collaboratively with management, as equals, to continuously improve Parkview.”
ER nurse Don Griffin added, “Being in a union is going to help build Parkview into a better hospital. Now we have the support we need to make life better for ourselves and our patients.”
By voting to join UNAC/UHCP, the nurses will have a voice in providing consistent, high-quality healthcare for their patients. They will have the opportunity to communicate on a level playing field with hospital administration about several issues that directly impact patient care, such as productivity, patient morbidity and employee turnover. Research shows that turnover decreases in hospitals where employees have a union. Now Parkview will have a competitive edge compared to other hospitals vying to attract health care workers amid a serious nursing shortage.
The nurses will now be going to the bargaining table with Parkview administrators to determine the best ways to improve Parkview and the care it provides its patients.
“Nurses are the first line of defense in healthcare,” said UNAC/UHCP President Kathy Sackman, RN. “They know best what their patients need and are deeply committed to providing the highest quality of care. Now that they are able to speak up for themselves and their patients, Parkview nurses will be able to help the administration improve the care the hospital provides to its patients.”
Penny Brown, RN
Parkview Nurses Make Their Voices Heard
January 25, 2008
Earning attention from TV, radio and newspaper reporters, the nurses at Parkview who want to form a union are making their voices heard.
As supporters cheered, NICU nurse Deirdre Kirkwood told her story at a January 18 news conference: “I want a union at Parkview. I want a union because I love Parkview, and I want to make it better,” said Kirkwood, who was unfairly fired by Parkview administrators.
The Riverside Press-Enterprise covered the story of the nurses calling for a free and fair union election, as did the Inland Empire Weekly newspaper and the local National Public Radio station, KPCC.
Check out this great coverage of our Parkview campaign on AFSCME's website.
The Parkview nurses also earned coverage on KPFK-FM radio and KZSW, the local Riverside cable television station.
Photo by Russell Miller
Hillary Clinton, Riverside Councilman Support Parkview Nurses
January 18, 2008.
Surrounded by supporters, including a Riverside city councilman, registered nurse Deirdre Kirkwood called on Parkview Community Hospital to let her go back to work after she was unfairly fired for trying to form a union with UNAC/UHCP for a voice on the job.
“I love Parkview, and I want my job back,” proclaimed Deirdre, a seven-year neonatal intensive care nurse, at a news conference on January 18 outside the hospital.
Deirdre and her fellow nurses were also buoyed by a letter from presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, expressing support for their campaign. “I believe that when nurses join together in a union, they not only improve the quality of their own jobs, but also the quality of care for patients,” Clinton wrote in a letter to Parkview CEO Doug Drumwright, asking him to ensure a free and fair union election process.
Although she has a spotless performance record, Deirdre was fired with no warning on January 4. The human relations manager told her there was “poor morale” at the hospital and it was “cleaning house.” At the news conference, Deirdre distributed a notarized letter authorizing Parkview to release her employment files to the public.
“With a clean record, I can only conclude that the reason I was fired was because I am helping form a union at Parkview,” Deirdre said. “It’s true that I want a union at Parkview. I want a union because I love Parkview and I want to make it better.”
After the firing, Parkview administrators began a campaign of intimidation and harassment against Deirdre and other nurses who support the union. They called police when supporters tried to tell Deirdre’s story to employees outside the hospital. Security guards took pictures and video taped nurses talking to union supporters. An administrator and two managers even tried to muscle their way into a private union organizing meeting at Deirdre’s church. UNAC/UHCP filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Parkview.
“We want Parkview to stop this kind of behavior,” Deirdre said. “We are asking Parkview to allow the nurses to have a fair union election, free from harassment and intimidation.”
“Parkview has a choice,” said Kathy Sackman, RN, UNAC/UHCP President. “It can keep battling its nurses. Or it can allow the nurses to choose for themselves whether to have a union.”
Riverside City Councilman Andrew Melendrez added his voice to the nurses’ campaign. “It is extremely important that we maintain our dignity, and we ask the administration to do the same,” he said. “I am proud to be among nurses who are passionate and committed to their jobs.”
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Find out about our union’s past and future in
a wide-ranging interview with Kathy Sackman.
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals represents more than 15,000 nurses and other health care professionals. UNAC/UHCP, as the association is known, is affiliated with the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO.
We are a family of health care workers, professionals, neighbors, and friends. Our members work, think, become involved, and play together to benefit themselves and to benefit our profession and our communities.
Since forming in 1972, UNAC/UHCP has grown into a mature and highly respected professional union that is a powerful force for RNs and Medical Professionals. Over last three decades, UNAC/UHCP has survived, thrived, and grown because of the commitment and involvement of our members. Member participation was, and continues to be, the strength of UNAC/UHCP!
Our accomplishments have not only helped our UNAC/ UHCP members. We have set the pace for improvements given to non-union Registered Nurses and Medical Professionals. We are proud of the positive impact we have had on their lives.
—KATHY SACKMAN
Check out United Nurses of America,
AFSCME’s national voice for nurses
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