Coverage from KABC, Los Angeles Times, Southern California Public Radio (KPCC) and  Huffington Post. 

Coverage from LADailyBreeze and Southwest Riverside News Network.

Tomorrow beginning at 6am, nearly 700 NUHW members at USC University Hospital will be on strike for 24 hours.

USC workers are asking management to agree to provide frontline caregivers with a contractually enforceable means of addressing short-staffing problems that compromise patient care. To date, their proposal to protect patients has been rebuffed by hospital administrators, even though the university holds a $2.9 billion endowment and the hospital generated $3 million in profits in the last fiscal quarter alone.

If you’re in the L.A. area, join us on the picket line!

When: Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 12th, beginning at 6am. Picket lines from 6am - 6pm. Strike for 24 hours.

Where: USC University Hospital, 1500 San Pablo St., Los Angeles

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Brothers and Sisters:

Eleven days ago, along with my co-workers from USC University Hospital, I joined thousands of our striking NUHW brothers and sisters all over California by walking the picket line at Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center.

We were so inspired by what we saw: healthcare workers standing up for ourselves and our patients, letting Kaiser know we’re a union that fights for our members, and getting our message out loud and clear to the public. At Kaiser LAMC, we even got a visit from Michael Moore! You can see it for yourself in this video.

At USC, now it’s our turn to stand united for a fair contract. Last Friday, NUHW members at USC put in our official strike notice to management. If USC doesn’t get serious about settling a fair contract that protects our patients and grants us the same benefits enjoyed by the nurses we work alongside, we’re going on strike for 24 hours on October 12. 

We’re proud that our union is ready to stand up to the boss instead of agreeing to concessions in backroom deals with management. At USC, we are determined to win a fair contract that puts workers and patients before profits.

That’s what NUHW is all about.

In Solidarity,

Michael Torres
Respiratory Care Practitioner, Keck Medical Center of USC (formerly USC University Hospital)

From the L.A. Times:

About 100* USC University Hospital nurses and medical staff picketed outside the hospital entrance Tuesday to demand improved staffing, a protest that came amid contract negotiations between administrators and two powerful unions.

Evelyn Koch, a registered nurse who said she has worked at USC-affiliated hospitals for more than 25 years, used a megaphone to rouse the lunchtime crowd on San Pablo Street, east of downtown Los Angeles.

“Nurses need to be sure our contract ensures our ability to deliver safe patient care,” Koch shouted.

Many joined the picket line wearing red or blue scrubs and toting signs with messages such as: “Fight on for safe patient care” and “Don’t short-staff life support.” The protest lasted from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., organizers said.

Read the full article at the L.A. Times.

*The event’s sign-in sheet lists closer to 300 workers in attendance.

More than 600 USC University Hospital workers joined the National Union of Healthcare Workers in a two-day election that capped a months-long battle between caregivers, hospital management, and the SEIU.

Beyond Chron, May 28, 2010:

NUHW’s 393-122 victory over “no union” followed SEIU’s removal of its name from the ballot last week, claiming that it could not overcome management intimidation of its own members. … NUHW’s victory is sweet vindication for NUHW worker leaders and organizers arrested and disciplined by management in recent weeks, and should have workers asking whether they want a union that runs from management intimidation or stays and fights.

Sodexo workers at USC University Hospital joined NUHW in an election on Thursday. The count was 38 for NUHW, 14 for No Union, and no votes for SEIU.

More than 700 USC University Hospital caregivers and professionals will vote in their election on May 26-27.