NUHW members at Keck Hospital of USC and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center voted overwhelmingly in August to authorize a strike as the university continues to demand concessions in contract negotiations.
After nearly seven months of contract negotiations, 86 percent of the 1,400 hospital workers cast ballots, nearly all supporting strike authorization. NUHW members at Keck–USC clinics and a call center launched their own strike authorization votes this week after receiving proposals from the university that would result in no raises for many workers.
“We’re fighting for our patients,” said Nayeli Alonso, who works in Imaging at Norris Cancer Center. “Our hospital is increasingly understaffed and patients are waiting longer for care. The situation won’t get better as long as the university insists on paying below-market.”
USC healthcare workers, including licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, housekeepers, and medical technicians, face rising inflation, increased living costs, and lower wages than those of other leading hospitals in the area, including UCLA Health.
Despite staffing shortages and worker burnout, the university is demanding wage freezes for some workers and the removal of a guarantee of the free family HMO plan that many workers depend on to be able to cover their loved ones. The university also wants to severely limit the rights of caregivers to speak publicly about workplace issues that impact patients.
“It feels like USC has left us no choice but to strike,” said David Zavala, a patient care technician at Keck Hospital of USC. “I’m disappointed in USC. When I started here, I thought I was working for a university that cared about its workers, its patients, and our community. It feels like they want to make us get second jobs and price us out of Los Angeles. They have billions of dollars. Their executives make millions. Why can’t they pay me enough to pay my rent at my home right next to the university?”The strike authorization comes after seven months of contract negotiations. The hospital workers have been pushing management for a fair deal, holding a rally and an informational picket.
