SEIU Locals, Tenet Reach Tentative...( Historic Accord Follows Mo...),Health

Historic Accord Follows More Than a Year of Bargaining

SANTA ANA, Calif., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare workers at 14 California hospitals from Palm Springs to San Ramon will soon weigh in on a new contract settlement with Tenet Healthcare Corp., which was tentatively agreed to by both sides of the bargaining table over the weekend.

If ratified, the agreement between Tenet and SEIU locals United Healthcare Workers-West and 121RN will include wage increases for nearly 7,000 hospital workers, as well as guaranteed wage scales. Tenet also agreed to participate in a jointly funded education and training program for career advancement opportunities.

"We worked long and hard for this agreement, but considering all the ways it will improve the lives of the patients and hospital workers, it was definitely worth it," said Charles Vasquez, a licensed vocational nurse at Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center.

The agreement creates patient-care committees and other provisions that emulate the success of other SEIU-represented hospitals, where care has been improved through giving healthcare workers a greater voice on the job. It also establishes a "no subcontracting" clause to ensure the hospitals will be staffed by well-trained and skilled workers.

"This is a very good agreement because it gives healthcare workers the right to play a role in patient-care decisions," said Sal Rosselli, UHW president. "We're pleased that Tenet will now join other health systems that have already seen how things can change for the better when caregivers and management work together to provide quality patient care."

The unions' California bargaining team also secured a Fair Election Agreement, in which Tenet management agrees not to engage in negative campaigning or other union-busting activities should workers attempt to organize at other Tenet hospitals. Other health systems in California have come under increased scrutiny in recent mont
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