NUHW members who work at Providence St. Joseph Eureka and Redwood Memorial hospitals in Humboldt County recently met with State Senator Mike McGuire to detail how the company has been violating their contract to the detriment of patients and workers.
The meeting, held on March 29, included NUHW President Emeritus Sal Rosselli and representatives from other local labor organizations, including the California Nurses Association.
“Sen McGuire was very personable, friendly, and open,” said Jennifer Messana-Eaton, a registered dietitian and union steward at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, who attended the meeting. “He listened, asked questions, and wanted to hear from all of us about what’s been happening at the hospitals.”
Messana-Eaton said workers from Endoscopy and Imaging spoke about the changes Providence is trying to implement, which create safety issues for their department.
Workers also discussed how Providence is bent on avoiding overtime pay, leading to unsafe staffing levels and reneging on its contractual commitment to a “Clinical Ladder” program that financially rewards workers who broaden their skill sets.
When professional workers in Eureka won their first union contract last year, the agreement extended the Clinical Ladder program to certain job classifications. Since then, however, Providence has changed the titles of those classifications and used that change as an excuse to exclude them from the program, which provides up to a 6 percent wage increase to workers who meet certain criteria, including new certifications, volunteering in the community, or doing extra activities at work beyond their normal duties.
“It doesn’t change the job; it just changes the title, but they’re doing everything not to follow the contract,” Messana-Eaton said.
Providence has also announced that it’s stopping automatic contributions to workers’ retirement plans. Workers have fought back against this change and launched a “fight for our future” petition.
“They are changing things that were not even discussed during bargaining, which feels like retaliation,” Messana-Eaton said. “We’re fighting, but it’s discouraging and frustrating because there’s an impact on patient care in all these situations. The patients get our best because we’re there for them.”
She said that Sen. McGuire, whose district stretches along the California coast from the North Bay to the Oregon border, was shocked and surprised by what he heard and sympathized with their struggles. The senator said he would call Providence representatives to discuss these issues.
Messana-Eaton was glad for the chance to speak with the legislator and for his expressed support. She hopes something positive will come out of the meeting.
“I’m optimistic that we can get a conversation started,” she said.
