Catholic Healthcare West and SEIU Begin Negotiations for 15,000 Hospital Workers

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-29-2008/0004765642&EDATE=

OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California's
largest nonprofit hospital provider and the state's largest healthcare
workers' union convened negotiations Thursday covering 15,000 hospital
workers across California.

Both parties are eager to get this round of negotiations underway and
continue their joint efforts to improve patient care and expand access to
quality hospital services across the state. In 2004, Catholic Healthcare
West (CHW) and SEIU locals United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW) and 121 RN,
a union of registered nurses, negotiated a master agreement that covers 31
facilities statewide. Now, that contract is expiring and both sides look
forward to addressing key areas including staffing and quality issues,
training and education opportunities for caregivers, and the expansion of
wages and benefits to better recruit and retain qualified caregivers.

"We are excited to begin negotiations with CHW and continue to raise
standards for nurses and patients across California," said Chris Slane,
registered nurse and 121 RN member. "We look forward to working with CHW to
be a model employer for hospital systems across the state."

Hospital workers at all 31 SEIU-represented facilities recently elected
members to the union's negotiating team, and more bargaining dates have
been set for March. The current contract expires April 30. CHW is also
currently in negotiations with 2,000 SEIU members in Nevada.

"During the past several years, we have worked with CHW to develop a
productive and positive relationship that has included working together on
improving conditions in our hospitals as well as on policy and legislative
issues and the development of a jointly managed fund to provide training to
thousands of healthcare workers," said Martha Vazquez, radiology technician
and UHW member. "We look forward to establishing new standards in this next
round of negotiations."

Hospitals covered by the bargaining include: Sequoia Hospital in
Redwood City; Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary's Medical Center
in San Francisco; Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, Mercy Hospitals of
Bakersfield and Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield; St. John's
Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo; St. John's Regional Medical Center
in Oxnard; French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo; Marian
Medical Center in Santa Maria; Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta; St.
Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff; Mercy Medical Center Redding;
Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael; Mercy Hospital of Folsom;
Mercy General Hospital and Methodist Hospital of Sacramento in Sacramento;
Woodland Healthcare; Mark Twain St. Joseph's Hospital in San Andreas; St.
Joseph's Behavioral Health Center and St. Joseph's Medical Center in
Stockton; Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz; St. Mary Medical Center in Long
Beach; California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles; Northridge
Hospital Medical Center; Community Hospital of San Bernardino and St.
Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernardino.

FULL story at link.