‘A crisis’: Sutter Health workers authorize strike over staffing shortages

Workers for Sutter Wellness are gearing up for a strike with union functionaries citing bad faith bargaining by the nonprofit strength care provider amid what they claim are widespread staffing shortages We don t want to go on strike but we feel like we have to Nikki Moorer of Sutter Solano noted in a declaration Friday We need management to stop bargaining in bad faith and listen to us to fix working conditions and short staffing Procedures get canceled and patients are sent home because there aren t enough staff to properly stock the equipment we need That s not care That s a problem SEIU union workers at Oakland Santa Rosa Roseville Berkeley Lakeport Vallejo Antioch Castro Valley and San Francisco Sutter Physical condition facilities voted to authorize a strike though a date has not yet been set The union expressed frustration with Sutter Physical condition administration over high employee turnover staffing shortages and stressful working conditions SEIU represents nursing assistants respiratory therapists licensed vocational nurses environmental services cooks technicians and more at Sutter Fitness The union also criticized CEO Warner Thomas who they declared earned million in while refusing to invest in staffing and person care The robustness care provider pushed back against certain of the union s suggests Sutter Wellbeing has been bargaining in good faith with SEIU UHW since July and we remain committed to reaching a fair and sustainable agreement Sutter Wellbeing spokeswoman Lindsey Goodwin commented in a declaration Saturday We look forward to being at the table next week to continue working toward a resolution that s best for our employees our patients and the communities we serve Union agents stated they plan to meet with Sutter Robustness in a bargaining session on either Oct or though it is unclear whether that meeting will stave off a promising strike action Sutter Soundness workers previously picketed in August and September at sites throughout Northern California including at the Sutter Clinical Center in Sacramento Plans for Sutter Wellbeing to build a new billion Emeryville campus were met with constituents outcry from the union which maintains the new facility will affect workers at the Alta Bates Ashby campuses in Oakland and Berkeley leading to a loss of services in the communities that need them largest part In April thousands of Sutter Physical condition workers walked off the job for a day during ongoing contract negotiations which was followed by another five-day strike in October by the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United Sutter Robustness in an attempt to keep robustness care functions running hired contract workers to fill in That same year millions of plaintiffs filed a anti-trust class action lawsuit seeking over billion in damages that alleged Sutter Fitness overcharged customers and companies for wellness care bills and discouraged clients from using other lower-cost services The physical condition care giant agreed earlier this year to settle the affair for million