As a Radiology Tech who’s worked at Keck Hospital for 19 years, Creight Fontanelle knows firsthand the excellent healthcare he and his colleagues provide on a regular basis.
“We see people at Keck from many different parts of the country, from different parts of the world,” said Creight, who even knows of a member of a European royal family who’s received care there. “We have that reputation, that we provide the best care to the patient.”
But Creight says that since the onset of the pandemic Keck has been wracked by shortstaffing.
“The surgeons, when they ask for all the tests or an X-ray, they want it right away,” he said. “We can’t always do it right away because we don’t have all the people and that puts stress on us.”
That stress has led too many of Creight’s coworkers to leave Keck in search of better working conditions.
“Staffing is always a problem,” Creight adds, “and we need to win more pay and paid time off in our next contract.”
Creight believes his colleagues have the strength and determination to win both and much more. NUHW contracts for the USC Alhambra Call Center, USC Care Ambulatory Operations, Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital all expire on April 30, 2024.
“That’s about 1,800 people. This gives us a big advantage and a big voice,” he said. “They can’t work without us. We want to have raises and get a fair contract. We’re not asking them to be magicians, but we need to be treated fairly.”
