Members of the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West are set to launch strikes Dec. 20 affecting four Prime Healthcare facilities in Southern California.
The union represents about 1,800 workers at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center, and Encino Hospital Medical Center, according to a union news release shared with Becker's. Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare operates 44 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient locations in 14 states.
Union members, which include emergency room technicians, licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, radiology technicians, medical assistants, respiratory technicians, and others, voted to authorize a strike earlier this year. The union and Prime began negotiating a new labor contract in May. In a statement shared with Becker's, Prime said that during negotiations, it delivered proposals to the union "that would increase wages and provide a valuable healthcare plan, maintain important benefits, and be competitive with other hospitals in the market."
The union contends that Prime has refused bargain in good faith to fix what it considers unsafe working and patient care conditions. "We are dedicated to providing the best possible care to our patients, but chronic understaffing makes it incredibly challenging," Lola Aguilar, a unit secretary at St. Francis Medical Center, said in the union release. "Our patients deserve better."
"It is disappointing that despite progress being made, the union has walked away from negotiations and has chosen to strike," Prime said in its statement. "But that will not impact our commitment to providing quality patient care to our communities throughout the holidays and always."
The December strike follows a similar strike in October, when union members went on a five-day strike.