Staffers Sound Off About Labor Dispute

About 75 community members, hospital staffers and union members gathered Thursday at a Canoga Park church to discuss the ongoing labor dispute at three area hospitals, including West Hills Hospital and Medical Center and Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, which represents nurses, technicians and other hospital staffers, has been in negotiations since April with hospital owner Hospital Corp. of America to hash out a new contract. They say Tennessee-based HCA, which has 276 medical centers and is the largest hospital chain in the nation, has severely understaffed its hospitals and have eliminated key support positions to save money. They say the cuts have forced nurses and other staff to log long hours and scramble to care for patients. Colum Gallagher, a respiratory care practitioner at West Hills, took part in the panel discussion at Our Lady of the Valley church Thursday and said his workload has increased several times in the past few years. It’s becoming unbearable, he said. “We can’t do it,” said Gallagher, still dressed in black scrubs from a full day at West Hills. He said patient care suffers. “You have to cut corners dangerously. And that’s what we are doing,” he said, sitting on the panel with five other workers who have worked at Los Robles and another HCA facility, Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside. “It’s an unworkable load.” Workers in July authorized a future strike, although no date was set. The union is demanding that HCA increase staffing levels at its facilities and give caregivers “competitive” pay and benefits. They also want more input on patient care policies. Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, whose 40th District includes West Hills, said he is concerned that the “chronic understaffing” is putting area residents in danger when they need care. “The hospital belongs to the community,” said Levine, who organized the event and served as its moderator. “It is not a profit generator for a corporation located out-of-state.” HCA management has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing and has said that patient care has not been affected by staffing issues. Jill Dolan, a spokeswoman for West Hills, said representatives from the hospital were not invited to the forum. She said the community meeting has not had an impact on discussions between the two sides and is an effort by the union to draw attention to itself. “This is a tactic that the union uses,” she said. “It’s not uncommon for them to do this in negotiations.”