In a strong display of support, North Lincoln hospital workers were joined by elected leaders and community members in rallying today for good jobs and quality patient care at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital. The rally took place on May Day, an international day celebrating working people’s rights.
With support from across the community, caregivers took a stand, demanding good jobs that provide affordable healthcare, a living wage and benefits that workers and their families can depend on.
Russell Lindenfelser, a Sonographer at North Lincoln, was on the picket line. “Management is asking us to do more and more with less. We love our jobs and provide the best quality healthcare for our patients. Caregivers deserve good jobs and quality healthcare too!”
Caregivers were joined by State Representative David Gomberg. Gomberg addressed the crowd of caregivers, their families and supporters from around the area. “My job is to stand up for working families in this district. This includes standing up for good jobs and fair treatment. All Samaritan workers deserve equal pay for equal work.“ The crowd of supporters agreed, chanting “Affordable Healthcare Now” and waving signs that read “We Care For Our Hospital”
Caregivers at the local Samaritan hospital are also speaking up for fair and equal treatment by their hospital – working together to bring their hospital up to same standards as other Samaritan hospitals in the region.
“We are not asking for much, we are just asking for what is fair,” said Launi Miller, who works in the Lab at the hospital. “Samaritan should provide caregivers in this community with the same living wages and benefits as other Samaritan hospitals down the road.”
In November of 2013, caregivers at North Lincoln organized and voted to join SEIU Local 49. Together, caregivers formed a union for a voice on the job and to bring good jobs back to the hospital and our local community. SEIU Local 49 includes over 120 hospital workers at North Lincoln including respiratory therapists, radiology technologists, dietary aides, certified nursing assistants, phlebotomists, and billing specialists The next bargaining meetings are set for May 7th.
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SEIU Local 49 represents more than 10,000 health care and building service workers, including licensed practical nurses (LPN’s), nursing assistants, professional and technical workers, pharmacists, dietary aides, and housekeepers in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The Service Employees International Union, is the nation’s largest union of health care workers.
