September 14th, 2017
Trouble in Napa: Hospital Workers Fight for their Union
This story by Cal Winslow originally ran in Beyond Chron. Here is the story of David v. Goliath, again; the story now commonplace as hospitals and health care providers consolidate and corporatize. Queen of the Valley is typical of rural healthcare, it is relatively small, it serves a poor, aging population, financially it is weak, […]
August 28th, 2017
Community and caregivers stand united at Napa vigil
As Queen of the Valley Medical Center executives faced charges in a San Francisco courtroom of coercing workers and withdrawing recognition of their union, Napa residents made clear Thursday that they want their community hospital to work with caregivers to improve working conditions and patient care. About 150 Queen employees, along with their friends and […]
August 24th, 2017
Dominican Hospital therapists join NUHW
NUHW’s rapid growth continued in Santa Cruz this week when 98 physical, occupational and speech therapists at Dignity Health Dominican Hospital voted to join the union. The 78-12 vote came just two weeks after 53 treatment technicians, custodians, office assistants and cooks at Janus of Santa Cruz, a nonprofit drug treatment center, also voted to […]
August 23rd, 2017
Thursday: Vigil planned outside Napa hospital facing federal complaint for coercing workers
As a hearing wraps up in federal court into allegations that Queen of the Valley Medical Center executives coerced employees and illegally withdrew recognition of their union, more than 150 community members and caregivers will hold a vigil outside the hospital to urge its CEO to recognize the union and work with employees to improve […]
August 16th, 2017
NUHW issues stinging report on California’s largest nursing home operator
California’s largest nursing home operator has exploited lax regulation to enrich its owner while leaving patients in understaffed facilities, a study by the National Union of Healthcare Workers has found. The union’s report “Brius Healthcare’s Insider Transactions” details how the firm’s owner, Shlomo Rechnitz, has steered millions of patient care dollars through a web of […]