[7-20-20] PALO ALTO, CA – Stanford Health Care workers who have tirelessly cared for COVID-19 patients under extremely stressful conditions will hold a protest with social distancing from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today, July 20, at the corner of El Camino Real and Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto. More than 100 workers are expected to participate during the three hours of the protest.

Despite the stress and anxiety workers already were feeling, Stanford Health Care abruptly announced in April that it would require employees to take 12 furlough days over a 10-week period, which amounts to a 24 percent pay cut during that time. To avoid such a big pay cut, most employees used their vacation and other paid time off, and now, when they need it the most to deal with the strain of the pandemic, most have no time off left.

“This cut was unnecessary to begin with at one of the richest hospital systems in the state, and it is taking a huge toll on those of us working through some of the toughest and most taxing conditions in our professional lives,” said Yolanda Gladney, a Lab Assistant III. “Stanford could make this right with a snap of its corporate fingers – they have more than enough money – and the workers, our patients and our community are calling on them to do the right thing.”

WHAT: Social distancing protest by Stanford Health Care workers demanding that their paid time off be restored.

WHEN: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today, July 20, 2020

WHERE: Corner of El Camino Real and Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto

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SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is one of the largest unions of hospital workers in the United States, with 97,000 members. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.