[aesop_character name=”CJ Dablo” caption=”Staff Writer” align=”center”]
The workers at Dignity Health—St. Mary Medical Center and their employer have agreed on only one thing–don’t disrupt the patients from getting their health care. However, those two parties just won’t agree on who should take the blame for the causes behind the protest rally at the medical center last week.
Employees and their supporters rallied together at the Long Beach hospital located at 1050 Linden Ave. on Thursday, Aug. 11. They sharply criticized Dignity Health’s announcement that it would freeze wages and make cuts to retirement benefits.
Jay Villarreal, an employee of St. Mary Medical Center who serves as a social worker/case manager, criticized Dignity Health, stating that workers facing a wage freeze would obviously seek out jobs with other hospitals who offer better salaries, benefits and pensions. He concluded that if the hospital loses experienced workers, patients won’t get the best care because the medical center will eventually hire new, untrained personnel who will take less pay.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Screen-Shot-2016-08-18-at-4.04.59-PM.png” credit=”Denny Cristales | Signal Tribune” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Activists representing workers at Dignity Health—St. Mary Medical Center organized a protest rally against their employer on Thursday, Aug. 11. The labor union representing a variety of staff members said that Dignity Health had opted to freeze staff wages and cut retirement benefits.” captionposition=”left”]
“And that equals inexperience,” Villarreal concluded in a phone interview. “And you know, the patient suffers. The quality of care suffers.”
St. Mary Medical Center offered only a press statement to the Signal Tribune and declined to answer any further questions surrounding what it called the “informational picket.”
“We apologize to our patients, physicians and staff for any inconvenience this informational picket may cause,” the statement said. “We believe the best place to resolve differences and achieve an agreement is at the bargaining table. The healthcare workers participating in the informational picket are valued and respected members of our healthcare team. We will continue to negotiate in good faith in the hopes of reaching a fair and equitable agreement with our union.”
According to a media release from the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), Dignity Health has proposed to reduce retirement benefits up to 25 percent and desires to outsource jobs to companies that offer low wages. The labor union also criticized the employer’s decision to offer “excessive compensation” to its executives.
“At least 19 Dignity executives were paid more than $1 million in 2014, for a combined total of $42 million,” the statement said.
Villarreal himself said that he was one of the protestors stationed outside the hospital with a bullhorn. The 53-year-old from the Long Beach area has already personally felt the sting of a wage freeze. Villarreal said he has not had a raise in four years.
“And the way the contract is being stated by Dignity Health, I won’t see one for an additional three years!enough is enough really,” Villarreal concluded with a snicker. “Seven years!”
Villarreal said that his own department has lost workers over the wage issue. He recalled that one nurse left her job after three or four months for better wages, and another social worker left after less than a year for the same reason.
“We cannot attract good workers with the salaries that we’re offering,” Villarreal said.
He does wonder whether he should look for another job now. Villarreal said that he has worked at the hospital for about 20 years.
According to the press release from the SEIU-UHW, the rally at St. Mary was one of many organized against hospitals associated with Dignity Health throughout the state. It noted that 27 similar rallies were being held through Aug. 18.
The hospital is expected to remain open, and all services will be still made available, according to the release offered by St. Mary Medical Center.
