USC’s Keck Hospital caregivers on 24-hour strike
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hundreds of caregivers at the University of Southern California’s Keck Hospital are striking for 24 hours to protest contract negotiations and what they call a lack of input over staffing and delivery of patient care.
Chief Human Resources Officer Matt McElrath says the hospital is open and fully operational and surgeries scheduled Wednesday are taking place.
He says some replacement workers are filling in for striking members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers. Employees include respiratory care workers, radiology technologists, surgical technicians, housekeepers and others.
NUHW Vice President John Borsos says the work stoppage was called because they’ve been negotiating since June 2010 and hospital officials have not been listening to workers.
Workers plan to picket through 6 p.m. Wednesday and return to work at 6 a.m. Thursday.