Healthcare workers are recognizing the benefits of being in a union and are organizing.
Such is the case for 65 professionals who work for AHMC Parkview Community Hospital in Riverside, who recently voted overwhelmingly to join NUHW.
The workers include medical therapists, medical social workers, and pharmacists who are fighting for fair wages and benefits, safe staffing, and a voice in the care they provide.
This organizing win marks the third AHMC Healthcare-owned facility to join NUHW in the past year, following workers at Anaheim Regional Medical Center and Whittier Hospital Medical Center. NUHW also represents caregivers at AMHC Seton Medical Center in the Bay Area.
“We know there is strength in numbers, said Dana Imai, an occupational therapist. “We want to join together with our counterparts at other AHMC facilities to provide better care for our patients, and provide a better life for our families.”
Workers at the 193-bed acute care hospital, which offers emergency services, pediatric care, and rehabilitation, will now begin bargaining for their first union contract, as negotiations continue for new NUHW members at AHMC’s hospitals in Anaheim and Whittier.
Wellpath Fairfield
Nearly 70 nurses, mental health therapists, and medical record clerks who work for Wellpath at the Solano County Jail also recently voted to join NUHW.
They are the third Wellpath location NUHW has organized in the past year, following workers at jails in Lake and Merced counties. NUHW also represents Wellpath workers at the Alameda County Jail, Sonoma County Jail, and Stanislaus County Jail.
These caregivers, who provide medical and mental health services to those incarcerated, will now begin negotiating their first union contract, hoping to bring their benefits and pay up to the union standard already achieved by their Wellpath counterparts.
“We have tough jobs that we love, and we want to be respected for the important work that we do,” said Amanda Velasquez, a medical assistant who has worked for the Solano County Custody Division for 19 years. “That means fair pay, safe staffing, and the right supplies to make sure that everyone gets the care they need.”
