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OCEANSIDE: More Tri-City hospital workers unionize
Technicians say they want a voice in decision-making
By PAUL SISSON - Staff Writer | ∞
OCEANSIDE ---- More than 500 workers ---- mostly medical technicians ---- at Tri-City Medical Center have joined the United Healthcare Workers union, increasing the percentage of the hospital's work force exercising its collective bargaining rights.
Doreen Sanderson, the hospital's vice president of human resources, confirmed that 60 percent, or about 300, of the 500 workers signed union cards, surpassing the 50 percent threshold needed to join the union. She said the hospital will meet with union representatives to begin a discussion on wages and benefits for the represented employees.
"I'm expecting the first contract to take about a year to negotiate," Sanderson said. "First contracts generally take longer than renewals."
Fega Segi, a certified nursing assistant at Tri-City, said she voted to unionize to obtain a "greater voice" in how the public hospital is run. Segi said she often finds herself responding to the needs of an entire floor of patients at once, a number that has increased over the nine years she has worked at Tri-City.
"Sometimes it's too many, and you are not always able to respond immediately when the patients call for help and stuff like that," Segi said.
The union will represent all advanced-care technicians, emergency medical technicians, dietary workers, operating room technicians and phlebotomists at Tri-City. Efforts are also under way to unionize 150 to 200 licensed vocational nurses, respiratory therapists, radiography technicians and psychology technicians, according to union organizer Richard Barrera.
Technicians are the second group at Tri-City to unionize. On Dec. 15, 2005, a majority of the hospital's 700 registered nurses signed union cards. A year later, an effort to leave the union, championed by some nurses, failed to gain support among the majority.
Tri-City's policy is to pay its non-unionized employees at the 65th percentile of the market for any given position. The 65th percentile is the point at which 34 percent make more and 64 percent make less.
Sanderson said the hospital was scheduled to give a "market adjustment" to many of the 500 employees who just joined the union. She said those increases will still be given for positions whose pay is shown to be below the 65th percentile.
"Some positions won't change, but others will see almost a 5 percent increase," Sanderson said.
Union steward Barrera said he appreciated the adjustment, given that the hospital did not have to honor it now that unionized employees will exercise their collective bargaining rights.
"We think that's great; however, that's completely separate from our bargaining process," Barrera said.
Contact staff writer Paul Sisson at (760) 901-4087 or psisson@nctimes.com.
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TCMC employee wrote on Apr 10, 2008 4:55 PM:Congratulations to ancillary employees for finally standing up for yourselves. "65th percentile" of what, I asked them to show me the numbers so I could make an educated decision myself-they refused. No breaks, poor staffing conditions etc. lead to poor patient care and mistakes. Our CEO, CNO, CFO and too many administrative officials to list know or should know what is going on and how it effects patients and staff. Poor financial decisions by our leadership have led to the decrease in staff. Million dollar doctor recruitments, millions of dollars spent on consultants, millions of dollars spent on work-out facilities, special insider doctor monthy doctor stipends etc. etc.... We must stand up for ourselves and our patients !! Lifetime healthcare and pension benefits to CEO, CNO and other upper administrative eshelon. Majority of these people have never lifted a finger to care for a patient and their bloated salaries and perks have been built on the backs of the hard working and dedicated employees @ TCMC. TCMC does not even have to follow state or federal labor laws. As public employees we should be entitled to Calpers benefits just like the upper eschelon!!!!
Policy Guy wrote on Apr 11, 2008 7:48 AM:Bummer. Yeah, that's what we need, more ancillary staff with little to no education on health management making demands about running the business.
Tri City Blues wrote on Apr 12, 2008 12:25 PM:Unionization is a message of dissatisfied workers. If managment-board wanted to keep out the union then the board needed to change management. It's a no brainer.
Smell a Rat wrote on Apr 12, 2008 5:02 PM:I smell a rat here. One of the transport van drivers said that he was included in this group, even though he is not a advanced-care technicians, emergency medical technicians, dietary workers, operating room technicians and phlebotomists at Tri-City. So how did a bus driver get included here? The only thing he did was sign an interest card a month or two back. So how much of a bonus did the organizers receive for this sale?
Tri City Blues wrote on Apr 13, 2008 9:27 AM:The board's standing Human Resource Committee has not been holding meetings for sometime - repeat cancellations. Did the board's members know about the unionization for sometime and just wanted to avoid the employees an opportunity to show up? The Union members should demand representation unless they plan to get co-opt.
Tri City Blues wrote on Apr 13, 2008 9:27 AM:How is it the CEO and his cronnies have been receiving the 65th percentile for years but the rank and file did not? No wonder they unionized!
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