Sutter Health Locks Out 7,000 Nurses

[Sutter Health Workers Locked Out
Bay City News

Thursday, December 2, 2004

Health care workers at 13 Northern California Sutter affiliated hospitals were locked out of work this morning, the day after they went on strike for 24 hours.

Sal Rosselli, president of Service Employees International Union Local 250, said 7,000 nurses and other health care workers walked out Wednesday because Sutter refused to comply with staffing standards in place at all other hospitals the union contracts with.

The workers weren't permitted to return to their jobs today, Rosselli said.

Rosselli said the union is asking for health care providers to have a say in the staffing levels at the hospitals. He said all other hospitals in Northern California besides Sutter affiliates have agreed to these staffing measures.

Sutter spokeswoman Karen Garner said that because each affiliate hospital negotiates individually and has its own governing body, Sutter can't negotiate any terms with the union on staffing or other issues. She said each hospital has to negotiate with the union individually.

Daryn Kumar, assistant administrator at Sutter Delta, said the hospital offered Local 250 an initial proposal at their last meeting that included a 9 to 12 percent wage increase, fully funded health care coverage for employees and families, a benefit to help employees pay for health care after retirement, valued up to $25,000, and enhanced retirement benefits with higher contributions from the medical center.

He said Sutter Delta has not received a response to this proposal from the union.

Rob Seide, spokesman for St. Luke's Hospital in San Francisco, a Sutter affiliate, said that any workers at Northern California Sutter affiliates that were involved in the strike will not be allowed back to work until Monday.

Copyright 2004 by Bay City News, Inc. Replication, republication or retransmission without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.]