Union Plans Protest at Tarzana Medical Center

Editors’ Note: This story was updated to include information provided by Providence Tarzana Medical Center. Workers on Monday will hold a protest at Providence Tarzana Medical Center, which recently terminated approximately half its housekeeping staff. Previously, Tarzana Medical Center outsourced its housekeeping staff through a contract with Sodexo but recently decided to bring the positions in-house as part of its new internal environmental services department. The National Union of Healthcare Workers said the hospital will not hire back some of the laid off contract housekeepers as hospital employees, which is what sparked the strike. “Refusing to hire them is unconscionable and a blatant attempt at union busting,” NUHW President Sal Rosselli said in a statement. “Our 575 members at Providence Tarzana always stand up for their co-workers, and we are intent on making the hospital live up to its values.” However, the hospital said it encourages Sodexo employees to apply and that many of them have been hired. “We believe that creating an internal EVS department where the staff is directly employed by Providence Tarzana and paid competitive wages aligns with our mission and goal to improve both patient outcomes and satisfaction,” the hospital said in a released statement. “This month, we expect to welcome 54 new employees to our Providence Tarzana family.” Picketers are demanding that the Tarzana hospital revoke the layoff affecting roughly 25 housekeepers and will be demonstrating on Jan. 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the 18321 Clark Street location. That same day is when the new department’s services begin as well. The National Union of Healthcare Workers represents 13,000 employees in California.