Some techs made even more depending on their job classification, some made less. In an unusual move, hospital negotiators did not meet with union representatives in the weeks leading up the strike, despite getting notice of when it would start. I am certain they have to look really hard to find the management they have put in place in almost every department. He then implored the two parties to negotiate out a settlement to avert the strike. I listened to this case live this morning. The technicians are demanding a contract with some of the same terms secured by a nurses’ union in 2019, including multiyear wage formulas and guaranteed cost of living adjustments. Of course youre a st charles lifer and hate unions, no one thinks thats news but you- its in fact exactly why we’re here. Breaking News Bend hospital workers protest wages in St. Charles contract dispute, Bend hospital leaders promise normalcy during worker strike, but nurses raise red flags. My great friend that works at St Charles hasn’t had a raise in 5 years. We can’t just continue with our low wages and disrespectful working conditions.”. Last year, St. Charles admitted to violating state law related to required meal and rest periods. A free inside look at Lowe's Home Improvement salary trends based on 42962 salaries wages for 3767 jobs at Lowe's Home Improvement. Now, a union says the technical workers are paid far less than comparable positions elsewhere, because of St. Charles’ outsized control over the region. Nobody is selling their soul, they’re fighting for what they deserve. "St. Charles Health System is disappointed that a federal judge declined to grant an injunction request today that would have paused the strike of its technical employees that is planned to start at 8 a.m. Thursday, March 4. But it comes after years of less visible protests against St. Charles’ employment practices. “We want more than anything to avert the strike and focus on patient care, but St. Charles is forcing this to happen,” says DeeDee Schumacher, a tech and 40-year employee of St. Charles. In 2017 and 2018, the Oregon Health Authority investigated staffing complaints at several St. Charles facilities. “I know we’re in pandemic, to some degree the emergency is one of their own making and cannot be excused to ignore the workers on the front line,” said the ruling judge to St. Charles’ attorney. St. Louis, MO 63110 Claiming that the procedures were not followed and that the strike would create a danger for the community, the hospital tried to get an injunction. This is our community hospital! In some ways, working with temporary and traveling technicians and nurses is business as usual for doctors inside St. Charles facilities, Pang said, but the strike is different because there suddenly aren’t seasoned staffers overseeing them. "The issue of legality of the strike notice is still being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board. They could have stifled this entire union with even one or two management changes, but their arrogance has never known any bounds. Registered nurse Joel Hernandez agreed conditions in the Bend hospital have improved in recent years. You must not have met anyone in town yet, who travels to portland or seattle for treatment because of st charles poor reputation… ask around, theyre out there (everywhere). St charles charges more for procedures than other hospitals, is spending millions on gaudy new buildings, and acquiring other hospitals- yet is pretending they cant afford to pay the little guys who actually keep it running… their management are liars and hacks and every medical professional in town i know has st charles horror stories, from the doctors on down to the dishwashers. Hospital representatives accepted the appreciation award of $1,500 this week, which will be distributed evenly to employees via gift card. For Sale - 419 Willow Wood Ct, Saint Charles, MO - $230,000. As expected, the judge ruled against them, noting that the federal court did not have jurisdiction and that St. Charles’ lawsuit was without merit. Maybe St Charles agrees with you and they can do better? This strike will be over soon enough. Many of the people holding picket signs outside the St. Charles Bend hospital would normally be inside its most hallowed spaces. ONA has come out in support of the medical technical workers, who are represented by the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals Local 5017. “I think the hospital administration has not thought of us as essential, or core members of the organization, for a long time,” said union member Kim Roberts, a veteran X-ray technologist. Daily Weather Forecast In one case from last month, BOLI said it received a complaint alleging St. Charles refused to pay employees for travel time between its various worksites. I know because I belonged to unions half of my working life. And the judge disproved the allegation that st. Charles didn’t receive the proper notice from the union. (We have also reached out to the union for a statement.). They deserve every malpractice suit heading their way because, no, you can not replace most of these trusted key workers. Since 2018, the state agency responsible for the enforcement of Oregon’s labor laws has received 11 complaints about alleged wage and hour violations by St. Charles. “It’s in everybody’s interest for St. Charles to support these workers.”. Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. One example is missed meals and breaks at the Bend hospital,” St. Charles spokesperson Lisa Goodman said in a written statement Tuesday. The hospital and union negotiators plan to meet over Zoom on Wednesday. Central Oregon can do better, and needs to during this time of grave health crises. 4261 Manchester Blvd. But after that vote, St. Charles raised wages by 10% for non-unionized tech workers at its other locations and not for the represented jobs in Bend. "The parties will meet again to negotiate on March 10 with a federal mediator, as previously scheduled," the statement concluded. Patients before profits, did you not see the sign? Her clinic’s services are in such demand, she said, new patients typically wait two to three months to get an appointment. In a Monday press release, Bend hospital president Aaron Adams wrote: “We’ve not received a return to work notice from the union, which is the first step in the process of bringing our caregivers back to work.”, According to Adams’ release, the union has been “unresponsive,” and “two core issues still remain on the table: compensation and union security.”. So far, the hospital has not shown their ability to fill vacancies created by the strike with replacement workers, meaning that it is uncertain how they will operate the hospital come Thursday. That means that sometimes nurses were caring for twice the number of patients that they should have been. Somehow they find these gems to run the place! Instead, they are willing to put all of Central Oregon at risk. When about 140 of these medical technicians and technologists stopped working last week, a neurosurgeon said she delayed an operation out of concern for the patient’s safety. Besides being the only hospital operator for a vast area, the health system is also the largest employer in Central Oregon. But now, Hernandez fears a backslide, as temporary workers called in for the strike take over highly specialized jobs. “Surgical cases have been canceled or delayed. Host of the 2001 AMBC Big Shark Challenge. More than most know. She said since 2017, the health system spent $6 million on more nurses and devised a new staffing model. Related: Bend hospital workers protest wages in St. Charles contract dispute. The judge chided st. Charles and their lawyers for bringing this to court. “St. “There are only two technicians that even know how to use the equipment I was going to use for the case. BEND, Ore.— On March 2nd, the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals and St. Charles Medical Center met in federal court as the hospital sued the union in an effort to stop their workers from striking. But respect these workers rights to take that gamble. If I was an IR physician, surgeon or cardiologist I’d think twice before starting a procedure with someone who can’t even find the bathroom. The Fort Bend Independent School District, an Equal Opportunity Educational Provider and Employer, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sex, national origin, disability and/or age, military status, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law in educational programs or activities that it operates or in employment decisions.