Hospital workers at Sutter Roseville to Vote on Contract

Roseville, Calif.- Hospital workers at the Sutter Roseville Medical Center, will vote Friday, November 20, 2009, to ratify a robust new contract, which despite the difficult economy, includes a pay raise, halts sub-contracting efforts by management, and protects employer-paid health care.   

‘We demonstrated to Sutter management that we are committed to standing strong and united to maintain quality staff and quality care, as a result we now have a great contract that protect our wages, job security and health care,’ said Nicole Otewalt, an Operating Room Tech and bargaining team member. 

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

Workers at the hospital, members of the Service Employees International Union, United Healthcare Workers – West (SEIU-UHW), had been without a contract for 18 months because of the failure of the previous SEIU-UHW union leaders, who were ousted in January for misconduct, including improperly moving $3 million in members’ dues money to a bogus non-profit for their own use. 

‘We know that it takes good staff to provide the quality care patients receive here at Sutter Roseville. Our bargaining team knows this and fought to make sure we have a strong contract, so we retain the quality staff,’ said Melissa Jones, who works in the trauma/neuro intensive care unit.  ‘This is a welcome change from the union’s former leadership, who let our contract lapse and left us vulnerable.’ 

The agreement was negotiated by the member-elected bargaining team and will cover the approximately 620 members of SEIU-UHW who work at the Roseville Medical Center in a variety of positions, including operating room technicians, certified nurses assistants (CNAs), lab technicians and environmental services workers among others.