Growing up, Dina Colino was the kid who always asked a million questions.
“That’s the only way you learn,” said the nursing assistant who has worked the night shift in the cardiovascular unit at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center since 2024.
Colino not only questions but also speaks up whenever something seems unfair or wrong.
“I’m the black sheep of the department. People have the same concerns I may have, but I speak up,” she said. “I don’t get intimidated easily. I know that when I ask questions, they (management) feel uneasy and back off.”
Asking tough questions and raising her voice help her as a union steward and will be crucial as she and her workers prepare to negotiate their next union contract.
In 2023, workers at the 245-bed hospital in suburban Los Angeles ratified a contract that increased wages by an average of 40 percent, making it one of Providence’s highest-paying facilities in Southern California and inspiring workers at other Providence hospitals to join NUHW.
But inflation and the rising cost of living have eroded some of those gains, so the workers, who include licensed vocational nurses, housekeepers, medical technicians, and respiratory therapists, will now push for improved wages and working conditions.
“We all are underpaid, and we have more responsibilities than ever before,” Colino said.
She would like to see a reduction in the workload of nursing assistants from 10 to 8 patients per shift. Colino noted some patients are heavier, sicker, or in isolation, requiring them to put on and take off protective gear, which limits their time with each patient.
“We don’t even have 45 minutes for a patient,” she said. “How much quality of work are we providing?”
She is eager to join the bargaining team to fight for these improvements. She’s also confident that Tarzana workers can win another transformative contract, just as they did three years ago.
“If we stand united, if we speak up, we have power,” said Colino, who is willing to do whatever it takes to win the best agreement possible.
“I will be in the front line to have a better contract, not only for myself, but for everyone,” she said.
