Workers, Elected Leaders to Highlight Understaffing, Long Patient Wait Times, Worker Safety Issues
Workers, Elected Leaders to Highlight Understaffing, Long Patient Wait Times, Worker Safety Issues
For Immediate Release:
July 6, 2021
Contact:
Renée Saldaña
[email protected]
OAKLAND, CA—During the month of July, Sutter Health employees and allies will rally at facilities across northern California to expose the threat to workers and patients caused by understaffing, long patient wait times, and worker safety issues at Sutter facilities.
“While Sutter has been driving up costs, they’ve been driving down the quality of care, staffing and safety at our hospitals. Just about every department is understaffed. Workers are getting run ragged with no time for breaks, and patients are suffering with long wait times for the care they need,” said Stefanye Sartain, Respiratory Therapist, Sutter Delta Medical Center. “It’s time for Sutter Health management to put patient and caregiver safety first. Listen to caregivers. Stop short-staffing and lowering the quality of patient care.”
Despite making $189 million in profits in 2021, receiving $843 million in taxpayer money during the COVID-19 pandemic, and paying out millions of dollars in executive salaries and bonuses, Sutter Health has announced layoffs of workers and continues to short-staff their hospitals.
Dates & Locations: 11 am – 1 pm
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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.