Donning capes, current and former workers at Rogers Behavioral Health held a press conference to protest poor conditions for patients, severe understaffing, and retaliation against caregivers who have expressed concerns about the treatment of the clinics’ patients.
“I’ve seen firsthand how much Rogers’ spiteful acts of retaliation have harmed the patients we serve,” T’Anna Holst told reporters. “And, that’s why I’m speaking here today; because we can’t help our patients if we don’t stand up for what’s right.”
Holst is a therapist at the Rogers West Allis Outpatient Treatment Center, where Rogers has fired six pro-union workers this year.
In February, Rogers fired two nurse practitioners and the center’s only doctor after they and several coworkers informed managers that they were joining NUHW and asked for voluntary recognition. In April, shortly after workers voted 53-4 to become NUHW members, Rogers fired two therapists for wearing costumes during their lunch break on the day of the union election, as well as the front desk attendant for letting the three previously fired workers inside the facility to vote, which was their right under federal labor law.
Workers, who include therapists, nurses, and mental health technicians, report that doctor visits are now conducted only via an iPad because there are no doctors in the facility, and that there is not enough staff to locate missing patients or cover some therapy groups.
“I’ve worked at Rogers for nearly two years, and I’ve never seen us so desperately understaffed,” Holst said during the news conference outside the West Allis facility. “None of the fired workers have been replaced. When a patient goes missing, we often have no one to try to find them. When a therapist goes on vacation, we have to combine our therapy groups because there’s no one left to cover for them. It’s no hands on deck.”
Instead of working with its clinicians to improve care, Rogers has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars unsuccessfully trying to stop them from unionizing, including an ongoing legal challenge to overturn the results of the April 22 election in West Allis. The company argues that the election was tainted because two workers briefly wore costumes, including a cape.
The company fired both workers and even filed complaints against their licenses. However, Wisconsin’s licensing board declined to take any action, finding that “the information received does not indicate a violation of relevant Wisconsin Administrative Codes and/or Wisconsin State Statutes occurred.”
Everyone at the press event, including Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association President Ingrid Walker-Henry and Milwaukee Area Labor Council President Pam Fendt, donned capes to show support for workers.
“I’ve been the Labor Council President in Milwaukee for nine years, and I can say that the actions of Rogers management have been the most egregious reaction to an organizing drive that I have witnessed,” Fendt told reporters. “These workers do everything they can for patients. It’s unconscionable that Rogers has taken so many actions and spent so much money to violate workers’ rights to form a union…. These workers are strong. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of forming a union. I know these workers, and I know they will stick together and fight until there’s a contract. And members of the Labor Council in Milwaukee will stand beside them in solidarity.”
The press event was covered by CBS-58, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, and the Wisconsin Examiner.
