Concord Hospital Workers Stage Two-Day Strike

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Workers note that every other hospital system in Northern California has agreed to the basic contract standards that they have been fighting for, and worry that John Muir Health System has become overly obsessed with profits and excessive executive compensation, as opposed to servicing the community.

In statistics obtained by SEIU-UHW from the Internal Revenue Service, the CEO (J. Kendall Anderson) of the two-hospital system had his salary increased 69% (to $1,012,490/yr. - apprx. $486/hr.) from 2003 to 2004, while the amount of charity care declined significantly - 50% at the Concord campus and 85% in Walnut Creek (2001-2004).

As the 'non-profit' John Muir Health System (JMHS) squeezed out over $96.5 million in profit in 2004 (22% increase), the hospital ratings, uncoincidentally, suffered dramatically. Of 12 categories of a recent health survey, John Muir's Concord campus received a 'Poor' rating in 9 important indicators, including Women's Health and Staffing of the Intensive Care Unit. In Walnut Creek, newborn deaths were reported to be more than twice the expected rate, while vaginal tears during delivery were 30% higher.

Considering JMHS' new health plan would force hundreds of hospital workers and their families to only use the Concord and Walnut Creek facilities for basic treatment, its no wonder that workers are striking. Would you want to have your child at a hospital if her/his possiblity of dying at birth is twice the rate of other facilities? Would you want a plan where your college-aged kids have to fly home from school in order to get routine treatment?

It appears that the Concord hospital workers aren't just striking for themselves and their families, but so that all of us in the community can have better health services. They're fighting for safer staff levels, more accountable hospitals, and the hope that patients will be put over profits.

According to SEIU-UHW, the 'non-profit' John Muir Health System is already under investigation by Contra Costa County for excessive profits and executive compensation as well as unlawful joint partnerships with for-profit corporations. With a 12.5% profit margin (more than the 10% limit) in 2004, the 'non-profit' John Muir Health System may risk losing its property tax exemptions.

This is all in addition to a recent scandal where a leaked memo showed that JMHS management forced physicians to deny patients their right to treatment (specifically colonoscopies) if their life expectancy was less than 5 years. see: http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_233235950.html

With such a fishy smell coming out of the executive offices of the John Muir Health System, beyond just fighting for their own families, hospital workers have been urging area businesses and unions to reconsider their health plan choices and support their efforts for a healthier community.

For more information, please see:

http://www.seiu-uhw.org

or, more specifically, on the strike:
http://www.seiu-uhw.org/mediacenter/news/page.jsp?itemID=27840637
http://www.seiu-uhw.org/mediacenter/pressreleases/page.jsp?itemID=27840468
http://www.seiu-uhw.org/strike-rally-august-28-29.html
http://www.seiu-uhw.org/mediacenter/pressreleases/page.jsp?itemID=2788308

or, on the denial of treatment:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/08-21-2006/0004419567&EDATE=

or, on Modern Industrial Services (the picket-breakin' thugs):
http://www.modernindustrialservices.com/security.asp
http://www.modernindustrialservices.com/transportation.asp
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22modern+industrial+services%22&btnG=Search
http://www.labornet.org/news/1105/chernos.htm

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All photos are free and available for use by members of SEIU-UHW. Please contact sugarloaf [at] riseup.net for reposting/reprinting of photos.