Purple-Up!

Remember to purple-up to support our Bargaining Team! Los Robles members should wear purple every Wednesday and Riverside and West Hills members should purple up every Thursday.

HCA & Owners are Making Billions

We Just Ask to Be Fairly Compensated

Crystal Diaz Los Robles 
Crystal Diaz, RN, Med-Surg
Los Robles

         We work hard. We are the backbone of HCAs profits. Without the RNs, there would be no hospital. We deserve to be paid fairly and what we’re worth for the care we provide and the experience we have to offer. 

In 2006, HCA went private in one of the largest leveraged buyouts ever. Fast forward to 2009 when HCA had a very good year, reporting $1.05 billion in profits.1 And, for the first 3 months of 2010, HCA reported $388 million in net income.1 Now, HCA plans to go public again and expects to raise $4.6 billion from the public stock offering it announced in May.3 The private equity firms that contributed about $4.5 billion to purchase HCA in 2006 could see their original investment triple once the stock goes on sale. Their stake could then be worth as much as $14 to $15 billion.3 That’s a pretty good return.

While those investors surely deserve to be compensated for taking a risk and putting their money into HCA hospitals, so too do those employees who put their heart and soul into their work each and every day and help make the hospitals profitable.

Our Union is preparing to submit our contract proposals regarding pay and benefits, and we’re simply asking to be treated fairly. We want pay that is consistent with what other nurses are being paid in Southern California and benefits consistent with what RNs and hospital workers at HCA’s San Jose hospital make. It’s the patients at HCA hospitals who pay for services, and it’s nurses who are at the bedside caring for the patients. HCA is making plenty of money. We deserve fair raises for our contributions to the hospitals that have earned significant profits for HCA and its owners.


Click here to read and print flyer

Can Bad Things Happen to Good Nurses?

Suspended for Investigation

All of us, as Registered Nurses, are just one step away from an investigatory suspension. Have you ever been investigated for an error you made or were suspected of making at the workplace? How about investigated for an error you didn’t make? Below are examples of incidents at HCA hospitals in which RNs were placed on investigatory suspension status. This can happen to you even if you’re a “good” nurse.

  • Hospital administration received a phone call about an alleged HIPAA violation that happened more than a year ago — the nurse, with 22 years of exemplary service, was suspended for investigation.

 

  • Hospital management suspected a nurse was sleeping on the job even though co-workers knew she was caring for an NICU baby and could not instantly respond. The hospital suspended the nurse for investigation until they could talk to the co-workers some days later.

 

  • A nurse made a clerical mistake ordering blood, and the mistake was caught through the system designed to catch those errors. The nurse was suspended for investigation even though the mistake was caught and there was no harm to the patient.

 

In each of the above examples, employees were placed on investigatory suspension and the employees did not necessarily receive a discipline. So that nurses aren’t indiscriminately placed on investigatory suspension, our Union has proposed language that provides guidelines for the hospital to follow before placing RNs on investigatory suspension. This will address the needs of the hospital to perform investigations while protecting nurses from  undue anxiety, humiliation and stress.


Our Union's Proposal on Investigatory Suspension

Investigatory Suspension. No employee will be held in unpaid investigatory suspension for more than ten (10) calendar days. The Hospital must meet both of the following conditions to place an employee in an unpaid investigatory suspension: 

· The Hospital must have a reasonable belief that an employee’s continued presence in the workplace creates an imminent threat to the health, safety, or welfare of patients, other employees, patient families or data/property;

· The Hospital is initiating an investigation to determine whether disciplinary action is warranted.

Click here for additional information on:
Tentative agreement on Paycheck Errors
Our Union's Variable Shift proposal
Our Union's Vacation Requests & Holidays proposal

HCA Nurses & Healthcare Workers United!

June 18, 2010 - Hundreds of Registered Nurses and other healthcare workers waved signs and walked the sidewalk in front of Riverside Community Hospital, West Hills Hospital & Medical Center, and Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center June 16 through 18 in a show of solidarity for worker safety issues our members want added to our collective bargaining agreements.

The hospitals’ owner, HCA, has not agreed to proposals by our Local 121RN Bargaining Team that would provide lift and transport teams to help move patients and heavy equipment, guarantee a nurse has 8 hours off between calls if needed due to fatigue, and provide additional staff to keep nurses and other workers within state mandated ratios, even during their breaks and meal periods.


Nurses Need Sleep, Too

 June 11, 2010- Our Union has proposed that our contract guarantee Registered Nurses that they have at least eight hours off between shifts for sleep at the nurse’s request. This means if a nurse has worked overtime or taken an extra call, and their next scheduled shift is less than eight hours away, the hospital will not require that nurse to report for their next shift if the nurse feels too fatigued.

However, HCA management’s proposal makes no such distinction, and only says “Any employee who is incapable of safely performing his/her duties because of a lack of sleep or any other  reason is required to notify the appropriate supervisor or designee (as determined by departmental protocol) to discuss potential alternative scheduling arrangements.”

The language proposed by HCA does not protect patients from fatigued nurses nor does it put into place any guidelines defining the length of time a nurse needs to rest. All it says is “talk to your supervisor.” If talking to our supervisor solved problems in a mutually beneficial manner at all times, we would have no need for a contract at all! 

Looking at the bigger picture, even if you’re not in a mandatory call unit, this could affect all HCA nurses if variable shifts become more widespread. We must stand together now against all of management’s anti-nurse proposals.

Click here for complete bargaining update


Members at HCA Hospitals Schedule Info Picket

Members at three Southern California HCA-owned hospitals will picket outside the hospitals to bring awareness to the public of staffing problems, the need for lift and transport teams and issues with HCA proposals on variable shifts and giving bedside work to managers.



Tell HCA to Put Patients and Nurses First!
Riverside Info Picket: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 16
West Hills Info Picket: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 17
Los Robles Info Picket: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 18

If We Don’t Stand Up for Our Patients, Who Will?• Nurse-to-patient ratios being followed at all times
• Being able to rely on a guaranteed work-week
• Call-offs, extra shifts, etc.
• Changes to our disciplinary language
• The need for lift and transport teams
 
We demand that HCA stop the attack on our rights:• Leave our rest and meal periods as they are
• NO to variable shifts
• NO to managers taking away our bedside work
• NO changes to current language on paycheck errors

Click here for Riverside Info Picket flyer
Click here for West Hills Info Picket flyer
Click here for Los Robles Info Picket flyer
 

HCA Announced First Quarter Earnings of $388 million...

What Are They Offering Local 121RN Nurses?
• Take Aways like decreased time for Labor Management and Safe Staffing Committees
• Ignoring our proposals on nursing issues: patient classification system, lift and transport teams, nursing practice standards, and more
• To make separate programs out of common issues like Clinical Ladder

 With HCA’s 7.8 percent rise in profits…
• HCA declared another shareholder distribution of $500 million
• HCA already paid its private owners a special dividend totaling $1.75 billion in January
• These dividends paid back about half the private equity firms’ investment
 
It’s not okay to pay shareholders millions and not give anything to the workers who help make those profits possible!

Take 5!

     May 10, 2010 - For most registered nurses at HCA hospitals in Southern California, it’s business as usual when we come to work these days. We suit up, we show up on time and we care for our patients using the skills and knowledge we spent years gaining through schooling and practical experience.

     For all that we do, did you know that management wanted to take 5 minutes off of our break times? Yep. During contract bargaining recently, management proposed shortening our breaks to 10 minutes. Would that save patients? Nope. Would that help nurses do their job better? Nope. Would it save HCA money? Doubtful.

     We stood together and fought against the 10-minute break idea and this week management agreed to withdraw their proposal.

     We need to fight back against management’s other take-aways and force them to take those off the table, too!

Click here for Take 5 flyer


HCA Nurses Say YES to Info Picket

During the week of April 26, Registered Nurses at all three HCA hospitals overwhelming voted to authorize our Bargaining Team to schedule an informational picket as needed to urge HCA to negotiate a fair contract.

Patty Lopez RCH

Patty Lopez, RN

Riverside Community

I voted yes because management needs to stop dragging their feet and realize that the longer they take agreeing on a contract will not only affect their employees, but also the hospitals as a whole.

HCA Nurses Win 3-Year Fight for Denied Anniversary Step Raises


Debbie Espinoza Los Robles
Debbie Espinoza, RN, ICU
Los Robles Hospital

It's hard to believe! It's been such a struggle just to be paid properly. I’m glad our union didn't give up and kept fighting. It should not be an everyday battle to be paid correctly.

April 15, 2010 - As a result of HCA hospitals’ failure to pay anniversary step raises in accordance with our SEIU Local 121RN contract, class-action grievances were filed first by Registered Nurse and Local 121RN Steward Jennifer Potts for nurses at Riverside Community Hospital, and then by our Union on behalf of registered nurses at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center and West Hills Hospital & Medical Center.

The grievances were filed in 2007 and the arbitrator first started to hear the case in 2008. Since then, arbitration procedures have been ongoing.

Frustrated over the lack of progress, our Union filed a “dispute resolution” in March – a procedure recently negotiated by our Union and representatives from HCA, providing the h

Union Proposes Increased Educational Opportunities

April 2, 2010 - In bargaining this week, our Union presented articles focusing on education and training. Although the pace is painfully slow, HCA has tentatively agreed to leave some areas of the contract as they are, as well as agreeing to our Union’s proposals on Jury Duty and Court Leave. We also agreed to extend our current contract until April 30, 2010. To show real good-faith movement toward a fair contract, HCA must address the staffing proposals and remove all take-away proposals in such important areas as call-off and distribution of available work.

Our Union originally requested that bargaining begin in Fall 2009. However, HCA would not come to the table until late January, thereby necessitating the contract extension. Check out our website often to keep abreast of urgent plans as they become necessary.

Hospital Wants to Decrease Rest Breaks to 10 min

March 24, 2010 - Our SEIU 121RN Bargaining Team met with hospital management March 17 and 18 and introduced a number of proposals including:  Scheduling, Floating, Vacations and Holidays, and On Call/Call Back, which are highlighted on the other side of this flyer. We also continued to address concerns on Reduction in Staffing and Seniority.

Other language passed across the table included Rest and Meal Periods.  The hospital presented still another proposal which erodes the rights of our current contract. This is a troubling trend.

Union Makes a Difference in Patient Care

March 12, 2010 - At the bargaining table March 3-4, our Bargaining Team reiterated their request that time spent on negotiations be considered time worked for purposes of fulfilling an RN’s work commitment. Although the hospitals have agreed to release RNs to attend bargaining if they have been scheduled to work, they are still requiring them to work their full commitment. This means some nurses are working as much as three days at the hospital and two full days bargaining. This has never been a major issue during previous negotiations.

Just as we tend to our patients at the bedside, we are now working to improve patient care through our work at the bargaining table. Our contract makes a difference and, “We are HCA’s greatest resource!"

We hope to resolve this issue March 17-18 when we next meet with the hospitals.

Stella Chavez, RN

I’m involved in bargaining for the third time. I’ve been lucky enough to see all the improvements we’ve made from contract to contract. We have fewer travelers and more permanent staff, better salaries and improved patient care. It’s probably the most important contribution I’ve made to my co-workers and patients at West Hills Hospital.

Back Injuries vs. Lift Teams

March 1, 2010 - Our Bargaining Team has proposed “Patient Handling” language that would require HCA to implement and maintain a safe patient handling policy for all patient care units.

Nurses Could Avoid Future Errors by Self-Reporting

March 1, 2010 - Our Bargaining Team also asked the hospitals to include Patient Safety language in our next contract. HCA negotiators responded that nurses are not disciplined for the act of self reporting itself. However, they can be disciplined up to termination for the error itself.

Contract Proposals Spring from Actual Experience

     February 18, 2010 - Most of the proposals our Union put forth in the past two days arose out of actual working scenarios that put patient and nurse safety in jeopardy, and required nurses to address the same issues over and over again. We continue to work on non-economic issues before tackling pay, benefits and other monetary items.

Union Asks for Clinical Ladder, Patient Safety Items

February 3, 2010 - Our Bargaining Team presented several proposals to management in the first two days of bargaining our new contract. Some of the items are:

Judge Says HCA Must Bargain Over Flu Masks

Nora Parkins

December 11, 2009

It's good that they have to bargain with us over the stigmatizing effects, says     Nora Parkins, a registered nurse in Maternal Child/Post-Partum at Riverside Community Hospital. But I feel HCA is just being punitive. If they make me wear a mask, I'll be one of only three or four people on my floor.

HCA Archive

Link to HCA Archive

Welcome to our HCA hospital campaign blog

Welcome to the HCA hospital blog site.  We welcome your thoughts and comments regarding working, bargaining or patient-care issues at Riverside Community Hospital, Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center and West Hills Hospital and Medical Center.

Take a look at our bargaining survey results below from last year. We have compiled the top survey results in healthcare, contract language, staffing issues and retirement. Are these still your priorities? Let us know why these are or are not your bargaining priorities by posting a message on our blog. We will forward all entries to our Bargaining Team. This is our contract and our future, and we want to hear from our members!

 

Posted By: Aimee Barajas on 11/19/2009 4:11:00 PM

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Bargaining Surveys Pinpoint Needs

In 2009, our Bargaining Team collected bargaining surveys from hundreds of registered nurses at the three HCA hospitals. The results were compiled in October 2009 and were used by our team to determine what proposals to make to management for our new contract. Following are some of those results by hospital.

Top Overall Priorities

Los Robles:
     •    Increased PTO was identified most often by Los Robles RNs as an economic priority
     •    Weekend differential was the next most often identified priority

Riverside:
     •    Increased PTO was identified most often by Riverside RNs as an economic priority
     •    A Retirement plan was the next most often identified priority
West Hills:
     •    Weekend differential was identified most often by West Hills RNs as an economic priority
     •    An across-the-board wage increase and a retirement plan were the next most often identified priorities

HCA Surveys, Petitions & Forms

If you have not yet filled out our cleanliness Survey, please click on the document below and return it to your shop steward or Union Representative. Your Union Representative has a 2010 planning calendar for you in return!

HCA Cleanliness Survey
Medi-Tech Petition
HCA ATD Standard Petition
Assignment Despite Objection

Our Bargaining Team Members

Our team has been working hard - before and after actual negotiations began - to obtain a fair contract for all Registered Nurses at Riverside Community Hospital, Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center and West Hills Hospital and Medical Center.

Contract Language - Rest Periods

The Hospital will authorize and permit each employee a 15 minute paid rest period for each four (4) hours worked.  An employee will receive a penalty payment consisting of an additional hour of pay at his/her regular rate of pay for any day in which an employee is not permitted to take a rest break as required by state law.