Hospital, union in accord




Strike avoided as hospital workers reach deal

2010-12-09 / Front Page
Union members will vote on agreement soon
By Sylvie Belmond

Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks reached a tenative agreement last weekend with its 540 non-nursing union employees over issues of wages and benefits.

A United Healthcare Workers strike scheduled for Dec. 3 was postponed, allowing a federal mediator to help settle differences between the union and Hospital Corporation of America, which owns Los Robles, West Hills and three other hospitals in California.

United Healthcare Workers West of the Service Employees International Union represents the certified nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, dietary workers, technicians and others at Los Robles.

With a new strike date of Dec. 10 reportedly on the horizon, a tentative agreement was reached Dec. 4 that includes minimum guaranteed raises of 2 percent each year for four years, employer-paid healthcare and additional paid time off.

“We are pleased to have resolved and avoid any potential disruption in care for members of our community,” Los Robles president and CEO Gregory Angle said in an e-mail.

The union membership does not include registered nurses, who have their own union.

The 2,700 statewide hospital members affected by the deal were scheduled to vote this week or next. Workers at each hospital will determine their own voting date.

United Healthcare and HCA leaders had been in negotiations since Februrary.

“It’s very welcome news,” said Abby Reeve, field representative for United Healthcare.

“The group of bargaining members is recommending that we accept the proposal,” Reeve said.

“It looks like they’ll be able to avoid the strike. So far it looks like the mood in the facilities is that the yes vote will prevail,” she said.

Additional raises to bring employees at each of the five hospitals up to scale vary by hospital, and will range between 6 and 22 percent annually over the next four years.



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