Nashville’s HCA Healthcare averts another strike

Nashville’s HCA Healthcare averts another strike

2023-05-22T15:53:06-04:00May 22nd, 2023|Economy, Healthcare, Nashville|

Writer: Joshua Andino 

2 min read May 2023 Nashville’s HCA Healthcare has averted a strike and reached an agreement between the employees of five of its California-based hospitals. 

In a statement to the Nashville Business Journal, Antonio Castelan, a spokesperson for the healthcare agency’s Far West division, said, “We thank our communities for their ongoing support as we prepared to serve our patients had the union conducted a strike. We are fortunate that locally and nationally, our organization is able to draw upon its strength, its partners and colleagues across the country to support these five hospitals and communities.” 

The 3,000 workers, part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), had planned a 5-day strike across hospitals in California after claims that their concerns over short-staffing and patient safety were disregarded or met with illegal threats by hospital management. 

“It’s an unsafe environment. That could be me, or my relative or one of my coworkers’ relatives,” said Shari Moseley, an admissions registrar at Regional Medical Center in San Jose in a press release earlier this month. “But management is trying to silence us, trying to stop us from standing up for our patients and better working conditions. It’s time HCA listens to caregivers, invest in staffing and end the patient care crisis in our hospitals now.”

Across the country, labor has been a critical issue in the healthcare industry even prior to the pandemic. In a separate interview with Invest:, Tim Adams, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas hospital, explained, “I’d say our industry is experiencing the most challenging labor market that I have ever seen in my career.” 

Numerous healthcare systems across the country are struggling, and it has led to increased union activity as employees work to establish firm boundaries over compensation, patient concerns and work-life balance. For many, the decision is either to strike or work as a travel nurse or healthcare practitioner, with 12% of all work stoppages in 2021 in the U.S. attributable to healthcare or social services related work. 

HCA, alongside peers in the industry, has worked to establish workforce development pipelines and further invest in talent. The company is currently investing $336 million between workforce development initiatives and expansions at its Galen College of Nursing and new HCA Healthcare Centers for Clinical advancement

“Health care workers are still dealing with trauma and burnout from the pandemic, and we’ve watched too many of our colleagues leave for better-paying jobs with less stress,” Xochitl Gonzalez, a patient care technician and union leader at Los Robles Medical Center, said in the release. 

The deal struck between HCA and the union includes 15% raises over the next three years, as well as protection for healthcare and education benefits. The deal will be voted on and ratified by union members – assuming it passess – later this month. 

“Reaching this agreement wasn’t easy but we stood together to advocate for worker and patient safety, improved staffing levels, and fair wages and benefits that reflect the vital work we do everyday,” said Gonzalez. 

For more information, visit: 

https://hcahealthcare.com/ 

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