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/02-29-2008/0004765671&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, improving employee
health, and competitive wages and benefits to better recruit and retain
qualified caregivers.

"We have made huge strides over the past several years by working
collaboratively with our employees to address key workplace issues and
develop solutions together to make sure we are able to deliver the best
care possible," said Jill Dryer, director of marketing and communications
for CHW. "We are looking forward to building from our existing relationship
to make improvements in this next round of negotiations."

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."


FULL story at link.