Workers at Sierra Vista, Twin Cities hospitals protest staffing conditions, healthcare costs

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Healthcare workers at Adventist Health Sierra Vista and Adventist Health Twin Cities in San Luis Obispo County held the first of two protests that are scheduled at both facilities this week.

A demonstration happened Tuesday on the sidewalks in front of Sierra Vista in San Luis Obispo on Tuesday from 11 a.m to 3 p.m.

"We're out here today fighting for our patients and our safe staffing levels," said Kimberly Evenson, Sierra Vista certified surgical technologist. "Today, during our informational picket, we just want to be heard. We want Adventist to listen to us. We want to have an open dialog and communication about what our employees truly need to take care of our patients."

Adventist Health, which purchased both Sierra Vista and Twin Cities hospitals earlier this year from Tenet Health Central Coast, is currently in contract negotiations with about 400 healthcare workers at the two facilities who are members with Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers-West (SEIU).

"We're out here picketing," said Anna Polanco, Twin Cities X-ray/CT Scan technologist. "We are in the middle of negotiations for our contract with the union, and there are some things that we're kind of not seeing eye to eye on."

According to workers, the main issues they are concerned about are staffing levels, wages and continued free healthcare benefits.

"One of the perks of working here at Sierra Vista has been free health insurance," said Evenson. "Now, starting in January, they want to start paying for our health insurance, which for some families could be up to $700 a month when people are already living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to survive here on the Central Coast."

Evenson added workers are in need of immediate salary increases, to help keep in line with workers at other facilities, and also with the rising cost of living.

"People are looking at other alternatives and other jobs and potentially moving out of the area or changing facilities," said Evenson. Several of our positions are under the market value. Our bigger issue is even with raises, that would still put us behind if we're then paying for our health insurance, and it just doesn't even out to where people can continue to survive here. We need the the excellent staffing that we have to continue to work here so that we can provide excellent care."

We can't afford to have people leave, especially good quality people that we have working here. We've already seen several, mass exodus over the years of people leaving and finding other opportunities. in order to maintain the great quality care that we can take care of our patients with, we have to attend to our, our employees as well and make their voices heard and, take care of our employees so that we can take care of the community. 

Union workers emphasized during the demonstration they are extremely worried about the current level of staffing, not only on how they said it how it impacts patient healthcare, but also to their own mental and physical health.

"The stress of being chronically understaffed, it takes a toll on your physical body being under that much stress constantly health care on its own," said Polanco. "It's a difficult, stressful job, and when you add in feeling like you're not supported by your employer, that stress starts affecting our health, and then we become the patients, and then who's left? We have a surprisingly high number of people out on medical leave right now. and I personally attribute their bodies breaking down to that chronically high stress level at work."

Adventist Health did not accept an offer for a one-on-one interview with News Channel on Tuesday, but provided a statement that read in full:

"The Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers-West (SEIU) has organized an informational picketing outside Adventist Health Sierra Vista and Adventist Health Twin Cities on July 30- 31. This is not a strike. All our facilities are fully staffed and will continue to provide quality healthcare services to our patients and community."

A second demonstration is scheduled to take place at Adventist Health Twin Cities in Templeton on Wednesday, July 31 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.