It is not only the registered nurses who are struggling to provide safe patient care under deplorable staffing conditions created and enforced by Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare. On Saturday, other dedicated caregivers, including patient care assistants, secretaries, technicians, transporters, cleaning staff and others who ensure the care and safety of patients at the hospital, will begin daily picketing with the nurses in their effort to negotiate a contract with Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare. The kickoff of this effort begins on Saturday outside the hospital (see details in the UFCW 1145 release below).
“Caring for acutely ill patients is a team effort, and we can’t do our job and keep our patients safe without the tremendous contributions made by all the staff at this hospital,” said Marlena Pellegrino, RN, a nurses at the hospital and Co-Chair of the nurses local bargaining unit with the Massachusetts Nurses Association. “In all our dealings with this corporation, there is one common theme: the failure to respect all staff and provide the resources we all need to keep our patient’s safe.”
Editors Note: The biggest turnout of nurses and their families for this will be from 2 – 5 p.m.
For Immediate Release Contact: Gabe Camacho, Political Director
March 10, 2021. (617) 320-8443
St. Vincent’s Hospital Direct Patient Care, Technical,
and Support Staff Represented by UFCW 1445
To Start Informational Picketing on Saturday the 13th
Picketing from 7 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. and 2p.m. – 5 p.m.
With Press Availability for Interviews at 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Worcester, MA The union contract between St. Vincent’s Hospital and United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1445 expired on February 28 after management had rejected the vast majority of the Union’s proposals and has offered no substantive counter proposals.
UFCW Local 1445 represents 600 Hospital workers in diverse departments with a variety of job titles including patient care assistants, critical care technicians, clerks, clinical support, housekeeping, radiology assistants, OR aides, and pulmonary techs, among scores of other titles. These workers are the backbone of St. Vincent’s and keep every department running.
The union’s negotiating team has presented management with comprehensive proposals. Of paramount concern to the Union is the safety of patients and staff. In the past fifteen years the patient-to-staff ratios for our Union members has increased by 50%. “This staffing creates intolerable safety concerns under normal circumstances, but it is unconscionable under a pandemic. Furthermore, the Hospital has laid off some of our members during the pandemic,” said UFCW Local1445 President Fernando Lemus.
“We join the MNA Nurses on the picket line who are striking over the very same issues. It is an absolute insult to health care providers from both unions and support staff to be treated as if patient does not matter by the Dallas-based Tenet Corporation” said Elaine O’Neil Bargaining Director for Local 1445.
“Our members stand in solidarity with the Massachusetts Nurses Association at St. Vincent’s on the picket line and we are ready to take lawful action” said Fabricio DaSilva Secretary Treasurer of UFCW Local 1445. The UFCW 1145 members will be picketing on Saturday from 7:00 am to 9:30 am and again from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with a special press availability starting at 8:30 am and 2:30 pm, where the press can interview our members and other supporters and officials attending the event.
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