Confronting a surge, NUHW members demand reforms at West Anaheim Medical Center
NUHW members at West Anaheim Medical Center are facing a surge of COVID-19 patients while dealing with severe understaffing and insufficient safety protocols. In November, six hospital employees tested positive for the coronavirus.
While members meet with management to demand stronger COVID screening procedures for workers and more ventilators for patients, they also are seeking to be fairly compensated for the sacrifices they are making.
On December 16, about a dozen workers “Marched on the Boss” to deliver a petition signed by their colleagues calling on management to “immediately reinstate and expand” a $7 per hour temporary pay raise that had been instituted during the previous surge in COVID-19 cases.
The petition, which called on the pay increase to also include many classifications of medical technicians stated that: “The Temporary Pay Increase rightfully rewarded caregivers for putting our health on the line, working under difficult conditions and helped ensure that our hospital had enough caregivers available to properly serve our patients.”
While management has not yet responded, workers felt good about the action and planned to keep pressing their case.
“I was proud to stand with my co-workers and demand fair pay for putting our health at risk every day during a pandemic,” said Tim S. Gibbs, a radiology tech. “We are facing a serious crisis. We’ll always be there for our patients, but we expect our hospital to honor or commitment, and we won’t stop fighting until it does.”