Support workers strike at for-profit hospital in Springfield
SEIU Local 49 accuses
McKenzie-Willamette
of further labor law
violations
By DON McINTOSH
Associate Editor
Over 300 hospital support workers
represented by Service Employees In-
ternation Union (SEIU) Local 49 went
on strike Oct. 28-30 at McKenzie-
Willamette Medical Center in Spring-
field.
McKenzie-Willamette is part of
Community Health Systems (CHS), a
for-profit hospital chain that has a
record of union disputes and labor law
violations around the country. Local 49
represents service and maintenance and
technical workers at the hospital, in-
cluding housekeepers, cafeteria work-
ers, certified nursing assistants, respira-
tory therapists, X-ray and emergency
room technicians, and other technical
and support occupations.
The three-day strike was called os-
tensibly to protest labor law violations
at McKenzie-Willamette. That’s be-
cause U.S. labor law allows employers
to permanently replace strikers, except
when the strike is to protest labor law
violations (known as unfair labor prac-
PAGE 8
tices). Local 49 filed unfair labor prac-
tice charges with the National Labor
Relations Board (NLRB), including ac-
cusations that union reps were barred
from new employee orientation, and
that employees were made to sign a
sheet if they wanted to attend a union
informational picket. The NLRB issued
a formal complaint Aug. 29, and sched-
uled a hearing to take place in January.
And the hospital has still not complied
with a judge’s order in an earlier case
over refusing to provide relevant infor-
mation to the union in bargaining.
But the crux of the labor dispute is
the lack of progress in negotiations on a
new contract. Workers have been with-
out a union contract since the last one
expired Dec. 31, 2013. The two sides
have been meeting since Oct. 17, 2013,
entered federal mediation in the sum-
mer, and last met Oct. 17, 2014.
In bargaining, the union has pro-
posed a three-year contract with 2.5
percent raises each year, and no changes
to the health benefit. Management’s
proposal is a two-year contract with
raises of 1.2 percent the first year and
1.5 percent the second — as well as 4 or
9 percent increases to employee premi-
ums while also increasing co-pays and
deductibles.
“This is a hugely profitable hospital,
and they can afford to do better by the
workers and the community,” said Lo-
cal 49 Healthcare Division Director
Steven Ward. “At this point, they’re ex-
tracting profits from the community and
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
sending them out of state, and we don’t
think that’s good for anybody.”
Because of a legally-required 10-day
strike notice, the hospital remained
open, using replacement workers and
managers to do the work of strikers.
Some replacement workers were flown
in from other states, and were put up at
Candlelight Suites hotel in Eugene by
the company. Members of the Oregon
Nurses Association also worked during
the strike, as their union contract does-
n’t allow them to honor other unions’
strike picket lines, though some mem-
bers wore stickers in support and came
out to the picket line.
But Local 49 spokesperson Jesse
Stemmler called the strike a success,
citing picket line support from local
unions and elected leaders. Congress-
Members of SEIU Local 49 conduct
three-day unfair labor practice
strike at McKenzie-Willamette
Medical Center in Springfield,
Oregon. McKenzie-Willamette is
part of Community Health Systems
(CHS), a for-profit hospital chain
that has a record of union disputes
and labor law violations around the
country. (Photo by Angus Maguire,
courtesy of SEIU Local 49.)
man Peter DeFazio visited strikers on
the picket line, and so did Lane County
Commissioner Pete Sorenson, state sen-
ator Lee Beyer, and state representatives
Phil Barnhart, Paul Holvey, and Rob
Nosse.
NOVEMBER 7, 2014