Post by Modesto Anarcho on Aug 14, 2007 14:48:00 GMT -5
Workers rally at Doctors Medical Center
Protesters outside Doctors Medical Center on Monday morning decry what they call a staffing shortage and a lack of equipment to treat patients.
MARTY BICEK/THE BEE
By KEN CARLSON
kcarlson@modbee.com
last updated: August 14, 2007 06:12:47 AM
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More than 10 months of contract talks between a union and Tenet Healthcare Corp. boiled over onto the sidewalks Monday outside Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, as the labor group demanded a fair contract for hospital workers at DMC and 13 other Tenet hospitals in California.
Members of the Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers-West marched adjacent to the Florida Avenue hospital, blaming the prolonged negotiations on Tenet and charging that the company's cost-cutting was having a negative effect on patient care.
The union represents about 700 employees at DMC, as well as workers at Doctors Hospital of Manteca and a total of 7,000 employees at 14 Tenet hospitals in California who unionized in a master agreement in 2003. Among the covered employees are respiratory therapists, nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses, lab workers and clerical staff.
The SEIU and Tenet started negotiations on a new contract for the national chain's 14 hospitals about three months before the Dec. 31 expiration of the initial contract.
During Monday's 90-minute rally, the union cited a survey of hospital workers at 11 Tenet hospitals. According to the union, almost 30 percent of employees who responded said their hospital department was understaffed on a weekly basis.
One-fourth said that, due to the short staffing, they were unable to answer patient calls for assistance in a timely manner. Employees also reported delays in bathing and feeding patients, giving medications to patients and filling physician orders for treatments.
According to the union, six of 10 employees said they had experienced trouble with faulty or broken equipment in the past year and 45 percent reported instances in which equipment or supplies were not available.
Sal Pena, a DMC pharmacy technologist, was among the 200 who participated in the protest, including DMC workers, union officials and members of other labor organizations.
"I am tired of Tenet's cost-cutting," Pena said. "I am tired of their unwillingness to put patients first."
Tenet responded that the survey's methodology was flawed. The questions appeared to be written to elicit negative responses and the survey was done online, so nothing stopped people from filling it out multiple times, said Tenet spokesman Steve Campanini.
"They have been putting out a lot of misinformation and half-truths," Campanini said. "Their accusations are an insulting attack on the work done every day by our dedicated employees and physicians."
DMC Chief Executive Officer Denny Litos said in a letter to employees and community leaders that the hospital scored above the national average on a federal government Web site comparing patient-care quality at hospitals.
His letter added that the Modesto hospital spent $19 million for equipment and facility improvements in 2006 and 2007.
Still, the union insisted that Tenet was forced to make cuts after agreeing last year to pay $725 million to settle federal charges that it overbilled for Medicare patients.
Karen Barlow, a DMC respiratory therapist and a negotiating team member, said layoffs at the hospital have created more work for remaining workers and employees are leaving for higher pay offered at other facilities in the area.
She said Tenet has refused to consider pensions and retirement health benefits for employees and has sought up to a seven-year contract, when three years is the industry standard.
The two sides were close to agreement in late July, when Tenet suddenly withdrew from the bargaining table, she said.
Tenet's explanation was that SEIU's national organization made a last-minute demand for organizing privileges at about two dozen Tenet hospitals in other states.
An SEIU official countered that Tenet had agreed to allow the organizing and then reneged.
"Nobody is asking Tenet to do anything other than what other hospitals are agreeing to," said John Borsos, administrative vice president for SEIU in Sacramento.
Protesters outside Doctors Medical Center on Monday morning decry what they call a staffing shortage and a lack of equipment to treat patients.
MARTY BICEK/THE BEE
By KEN CARLSON
kcarlson@modbee.com
last updated: August 14, 2007 06:12:47 AM
The High Five
Related Stories
Comments
1. Van Halen & David Lee Roth announce tour
2. Police find dead farmer and his tractor in river
3. Judge won't change nude driver's sentence
4. Law & Order
5. Fire destorys VFW hall in Modesto
The High Five are the five most-read stories, updated hourly.
Comment on this story
More than 10 months of contract talks between a union and Tenet Healthcare Corp. boiled over onto the sidewalks Monday outside Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, as the labor group demanded a fair contract for hospital workers at DMC and 13 other Tenet hospitals in California.
Members of the Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers-West marched adjacent to the Florida Avenue hospital, blaming the prolonged negotiations on Tenet and charging that the company's cost-cutting was having a negative effect on patient care.
The union represents about 700 employees at DMC, as well as workers at Doctors Hospital of Manteca and a total of 7,000 employees at 14 Tenet hospitals in California who unionized in a master agreement in 2003. Among the covered employees are respiratory therapists, nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses, lab workers and clerical staff.
The SEIU and Tenet started negotiations on a new contract for the national chain's 14 hospitals about three months before the Dec. 31 expiration of the initial contract.
During Monday's 90-minute rally, the union cited a survey of hospital workers at 11 Tenet hospitals. According to the union, almost 30 percent of employees who responded said their hospital department was understaffed on a weekly basis.
One-fourth said that, due to the short staffing, they were unable to answer patient calls for assistance in a timely manner. Employees also reported delays in bathing and feeding patients, giving medications to patients and filling physician orders for treatments.
According to the union, six of 10 employees said they had experienced trouble with faulty or broken equipment in the past year and 45 percent reported instances in which equipment or supplies were not available.
Sal Pena, a DMC pharmacy technologist, was among the 200 who participated in the protest, including DMC workers, union officials and members of other labor organizations.
"I am tired of Tenet's cost-cutting," Pena said. "I am tired of their unwillingness to put patients first."
Tenet responded that the survey's methodology was flawed. The questions appeared to be written to elicit negative responses and the survey was done online, so nothing stopped people from filling it out multiple times, said Tenet spokesman Steve Campanini.
"They have been putting out a lot of misinformation and half-truths," Campanini said. "Their accusations are an insulting attack on the work done every day by our dedicated employees and physicians."
DMC Chief Executive Officer Denny Litos said in a letter to employees and community leaders that the hospital scored above the national average on a federal government Web site comparing patient-care quality at hospitals.
His letter added that the Modesto hospital spent $19 million for equipment and facility improvements in 2006 and 2007.
Still, the union insisted that Tenet was forced to make cuts after agreeing last year to pay $725 million to settle federal charges that it overbilled for Medicare patients.
Karen Barlow, a DMC respiratory therapist and a negotiating team member, said layoffs at the hospital have created more work for remaining workers and employees are leaving for higher pay offered at other facilities in the area.
She said Tenet has refused to consider pensions and retirement health benefits for employees and has sought up to a seven-year contract, when three years is the industry standard.
The two sides were close to agreement in late July, when Tenet suddenly withdrew from the bargaining table, she said.
Tenet's explanation was that SEIU's national organization made a last-minute demand for organizing privileges at about two dozen Tenet hospitals in other states.
An SEIU official countered that Tenet had agreed to allow the organizing and then reneged.
"Nobody is asking Tenet to do anything other than what other hospitals are agreeing to," said John Borsos, administrative vice president for SEIU in Sacramento.