All Stephania Ramirez wants for Christmas is a bit of free time. When the nursing assistant at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance is not participating in negotiations for the hospital’s first union contract with NUHW, she is preparing for the Medical College Admission Test.
As an aspiring obstetrician-gynecologist, Ramirez is especially invested in ensuring that her hospital provides excellent patient care and fair working conditions for staff.
“I love my job. I get to care for postpartum mothers and help them experience a little less pressure and more dignity after delivering their babies,” said Ramirez, who has assisted during emergencies in the Postpartum Department, including helping stabilize a new mother who was hemorrhaging. “I immediately called the nurse and supported her however I could.”
Ramirez recognizes how hard everyone at her hospital works to serve patients, which is why she is disheartened that Providence continues to offer substandard proposals during contract negotiations. After months of discussions, Providence’s latest offer included wages below $25 per hour — less than the upcoming minimum wage for healthcare workers in California.
“I’m prepared to go on strike,” Ramirez said. “I’m ready to stand in front of the hospital and tell the world that Providence does not respect its caregivers or the patients we serve, and that we are not going to allow that to continue.”
Although new to union involvement, Ramirez is fully engaged after attending Frontlines, NUHW recent leadership conference in Los Angeles, where she met labor icon Dolores Huerta.
“You learn so much — what the union represents, the issues that matter, and what we should be advocating for,” said Ramirez, who described herself as “star struck.” “I appreciate that we have a voice and can stand up to management without fear. I’m able to speak my mind.”
Despite her demanding schedule, Ramirez intends to remain actively involved at the bargaining table until she and her coworkers secure a strong contract, just as workers have at other Providence hospitals across the state.
“We must fight until the end,” she said. “There is no backing down.”
