Antelope Valley Press

Medical center staffers protest

They want respect from management in labor talks

By ALLISON GATLIN Valley Press Staff Writer

LANCASTER — Wearing purple shirts, chanting and carrying signs saying “Enough is Enough,” hundreds of Antelope Valley Medical Center staff — members of the SEIUUHW union — picketed on the sidewalk in front of the hospital, Thursday, to draw attention to their contract negotiations.

Cars passing by frequently honked in support.

“We demand respect from management,” Lourdes Perez, a nurse technician in the stroke unit, said. “Give us respect and we’ll continue to work in harmony.”

The union represents about 1,800 staff members from across the hospital, in departments from housekeeping to radiology, business office to nurse technicians.

Their three-year contract expires, on June 30, and the union and medical center management have yet to come to an agreement on a new contract.

Chief among the members’ concerns is staffing shortages, which they say endanger proper care for patients.

“I wouldn’t bring my mom here if she was sick,” Perez said.

Members said the hospital management has not been receptive to their concerns, which include correcting the staffing shortages, respect from management and a salary increase.

Antelope Valley Medical Center issued the following statement when asked about the contract negotiations:

“Antelope Valley Medical Center is still in negotiations with the SEIU-UHW; in addition, both parties have agreed to extend the contract an additional 30 days to provide ample time for these negotiations. We have already had several meetings with the

union and have four more meetings scheduled. We understand the needs presented, and are working diligently to come to an agreement that works for everyone.”

In regards to respecting the union membership, “Within management there’s a lack of leadership,” Claudia Alcala, who works in the billing department, said.

Harassment and other complaints are frequent, with little relief from management when grievances are filed.

“We deal with a lot of harassment in this hospital,” Alcala said, leading to many employees leaving when their concerns are not addressed. “This is where the lack of leadership comes into play.”

One former employee from the security department said she had been fired in retaliation for complaining about sexual harassment.

Increasing salaries to be commensurate with other facilities in the industry is also a goal in the negotiations. AVMC has offered a 2.5% annual pay raise for the next three years, which Alcala said is not enough to bring the pay up to others’ standards.

Some of the signs on the fence behind the picketers and held by some on the sidewalk read “I Could Earn More at Target.”

The picket was called to draw attention to their concerns, members said, in the hopes of avoiding a strike.

If Antelope Valley Medical Center wants to live up to its goal of being the provider of choice in the Valley, “we have to start by being the employer of choice,” Alcala said.

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2022-06-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

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