Media Advisory for:

October 23, 2023

BURBANK, Calif. – Approximately 700 frontline healthcare workers will start an unfair labor practice strike over bad faith bargaining and other illegal tactics meant to silence workers at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. They are expected to take part in an unfair labor practice strike for five days, starting at 6 am on Monday, October 23.

Workers are taking this action of last resort after months of trying to address the facilities’ long standing issues of understaffing, worker turnover and patient care concerns at the bargaining table. They have been met only by bad faith bargaining and other Unfair Labor Practices by Providence St. Joseph management.

“We are being intimidated and threatened for wanting to improve our hospital, while Providence executives bargain in bad faith over solutions to our short-staffing crisis,” said Christian Ayon, a Lead Surgical Technician at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center. “This used to be a premier hospital, but we are struggling to give the quality care our patients deserve as we watch staff leave and positions go unfilled. We fight not just for ourselves but for our patients that depend on us.” 

Frontline healthcare workers including lab technicians, phlebotomists, EMTs, patient transporters, EVS workers and other professions will be participating in the strike.

Media Contact:

Maria Leal, 

[email protected]

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SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is a healthcare justice union of more than 100,000 healthcare workers, patients, and healthcare activists united to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality care for all Californians, provided by valued and respected healthcare workers. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.