Author Archives: henrykotula

Strike set to begin at Cedars-Sinai

Posted on by • Posted in Employee Strike, Labor Spend Management, Labor Strike, Labor Union, Labor Union Grievance • Leave a comment
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hr/strike-set-to-begin-at-cedars-sinai.html?utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter

Members of the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West are set to begin a weeklong strike May 9 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The union represents about 2,000 certified nursing assistants, surgical technicians, sterile processing technicians, transporters, environmental service workers, plant operation workers and food service technicians, according to NBC Los Angeles. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has about 14,000 employees total.

Union members voted to authorize a strike in April. The union and hospital began negotiating a new labor contract March 21, according to NBC Los Angeles. A hospital spokesperson told the local news outlet that upon the start of negotiations, “Cedars-Sinai presented a strong economic proposal that would have continued our market leading pay by providing substantial pay increases to bargaining unit employees as early as March 27.”

The union contends that in its latest round of bargaining, Cedars-Sinai rejected proposals on PPE stockpiles, COVID-19 exposure notifications, keeping pregnant and immunocompromised workers away from COVID-19 patients and other safety measures. “We’re asking for basic workplace protections and respect for the lives and health of caregivers and patients,” an SEIU-UHW statement reads. 

“We respect the rights of SEIU-UHW members to take this step,” the hospital said in a statement. “The most effective way to reach a fair agreement, however, is for both parties to stay at the bargaining table and finish negotiations.”

Stanford, nurses reach tentative labor deal

Posted on by • Posted in Employee Benefits, Employee Compensation, Labor Agreement, Labor Shortages, Labor Spend Management, Nurses Shortage, Nurses Union • Leave a comment
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hr/stanford-nurses-reach-tentative-labor-deal.html?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=2893H2397267F7G

Stanford and Lucile Packard Children’s hospitals in Palo Alto, Calif., and the Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract for about 5,000 nurses represented by the union, according to hospital and union statements.

The sides reached the agreement April 29, the fifth day of a strike, and union members approved it May 1. 

“After extensive discussions, we were able to reach consensus on a contract that reflects our shared priorities and enhances existing benefits supporting our nurses’ health, well-being and ongoing professional development,” Stanford said in its latest negotiations update.

With the new agreement, striking nurses will return to work May 3. 

Meanwhile, in a news release shared with Becker’s, the union highlighted parts of the agreement, including improvements it said “ensure high patient acuity is reflected in staffing.”  

The agreement also includes a combined 7 percent base wage increase in 2022 (a 5 percent increase followed by a 2 percent increase) for nurses, 5 percent in 2023 and 5 percent in 2024, as well as funds specifically for mental healthcare of workers, according to the union.

As part of the labor deal, the hospitals also agreed to continue medical benefits for striking nurses without disruption, the union said.

“From day one of our contract negotiations, CRONA nurses have been unified in our goals of improving staffing and making our profession more sustainable,” Colleen Borges, president of CRONA and pediatric oncology nurse at Packard hospital, said in the release. “We stood strong behind our demands for fair contracts that give us the resources and support we need to take care of ourselves, our families and our patients. We are proud to provide world-class patient care — and are glad the hospitals have finally listened to us.”

Dale Beatty, DNP, RN, chief nurse executive and vice president of patient care services for Stanford Health Care, and Jesus Cepero, PhD, RN, senior vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer for Stanford Children’s Health, acknowledged on the Stanford negotiations page that reaching an agreement has been challenging.

Now “we can all take pride in this agreement. And we are proud of our team for maintaining continuity of care for our patients,” they said.

More information on negotiations is available here and here.   

Ascension posts $884M quarterly loss

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https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/ascension-posts-884m-quarterly-loss.html?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=2893H2397267F7G

St. Louis-based Ascension reported higher expenses in the three months ended March 31 and ended the quarter with a loss, according to financial documents filed April 29. 

The 143-hospital system reported operating revenue of $6.69 billion in the first three months of this year, up from $6.56 billion in the same period of 2021. 

Ascension’s operating expenses climbed to $7.34 billion in the first three months of 2022, up from $6.59 billion in the same period a year earlier. The increase was attributed to several factors, including higher salaries, wages and supply expenses. 

Looking at the first nine months of the current fiscal year, Ascension’s operating expenses increased 8.7 percent year over year. Staffing challenges, increased use of contract labor and overtime spend pushed Ascension’s total salaries, wages and benefits up 10.1 percent year over year in the nine months ended March 31.

Ascension ended the most recent quarter with an operating loss of $671.14 million, compared to an operating loss of $16.71 million in the same period last year. 

After factoring in nonoperating items, Ascension reported a net loss of $884.74 million for the three months ended March 31. A year earlier, the health system posted net income of $957.32 million. For the first nine months ended March 31, Ascension reported net income of $145.21 million, compared to $4.77 billion in the same period a year earlier. 

As of March 31, Ascension had 295 days cash on hand, compared to 336 days as of June 30, 2021.