‘Horror stories’ reported at Maui hospital during three-day health care worker strike

By A’ali’i Dukelow

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    MAUI COUNTY, Hawai’i (KITV) — Hundreds of health care workers on Maui and Lana’i returned to work on Thursday morning after a three-day strike.

While the employees were pleased to begin working again, some said they were disappointed to hear about operations at Maui Memorial Medical Center while they were out picketing.

Hospital management reported before the strike they would enlist temporary workers to cover the ones who step out, but CT technician and union chair Matthew Pelc said he heard of “horror stories” from doctors during the three days the union staff members were out.

“It’s terrible to hear that but we’re glad to be back in there,” Pelc added.

One of the reported stories involved an outpatient who was in the facility on Tuesday, the second day of the strike. Pelc said the man needed tests, but was sent away because the workers in the hospital at the time were too busy, which Pelc said he has never had to do.

“That patient had to come back today, we had to restart another IV to do his test. So it’s just astonishing, something like that…happened when they (the hospital) said they were completely ready for anything that could come, but they couldn’t even do outpatients, which is our easiest patients. It was mind-blowing,” Pelc criticized.

Pelc also claimed to have been told there were hours-long delays for imaging.

“Our doctors told us they felt uncomfortable with those nurses. They didn’t know who they had with them, what kind of experience they had and they did not feel they were prepared,” Pelc revealed.

According to Pelc, the hospital contracted hundreds of short-term nurses, paid them generously and put them up at the Grand Wailea Resort.

Additionally, Pelc reported the hospital staffed the center with an adequate amount of workers, which Pelc and the other union members have been asking for.

Hundreds of health care workers at Maui Memorial, Kula Hospital and Lana’i Community Hospital decided to participate in the three-day strike, after about four months of demanding better pay and more staff. The reported staff shortage is leading to worker burnout and compromised patient care, Pelc and the union have reported.

There is an offer for an 18% wage increase over four years, but the workers claim nothing has been done about staffing.

“I don’t know how many times we have to tell them, no amount of money will get this deal done. They need to address staffing,” Pelc insisted.

When asked if the union staff would consider another strike in the event the stalemate persists, Pelc said they would not rule out the option.

Negotiations are set to resume next week and again next month.

Maui Health released the following statement:

Maui Memorial Medical Center was and is well-staffed.

Union members’ decision to walk out does not change our obligation to our patients, residents and community. To ensure the same safe, quality care during the strike, we brought in a team of highly qualified, highly experienced healthcare professionals to work alongside our own dedicated team members.

It is incredibly disappointing that the Union is trying to tell a false narrative that portrays our hospital and the care their fellow employees provide in a negative light. This bargaining tactic is obviously meant to put pressure on negotiations but instead creates unnecessary concern for members of our community and provokes negativity amongst our employees on both sides of the picket line.

Despite this negative campaign by the Union to divide our employees and community, we continue to focus on what unites us: our shared goal of delivering exceptional care to our community. We believe the best place to resolve our differences and reach an agreement is at the bargaining table and we reaffirm our commitment to bargaining in good faith to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. We urge the union to come back to the table with a willingness to engage and reach an agreement that benefits everyone involved.

“We met with our medical staff leadership twice a day, every day, during the strike to ensure we were hearing any concerns or questions. Any issues that surfaced, most unrelated to the strike, were escalated and addressed in a timely manner. Most of what we saw was similar to what a hospital would see from time to time in normal operations. Nurses were very capable and did a great job. Our staff, medical staff and patients were overwhelmingly positive about the care they received and I am very grateful to the team who was here during the strike for their commitment to our community.” – Dr. Michael Shea, Chief Medical Director, Maui Health

“It is important to clarify what the Union is actually asking for in regard to staffing guidelines. We have been working with UNAC as part of bargaining on a collaborative approach to an overall staffing model that includes these guidelines, most of which the Union has themselves acknowledged are already in place, as well as an acuity tool and a robust nurse staffing committee. The model gives nurses and nurse leadership authority over managing staffing on a daily basis and allows adjustments based on the needs of our patients and staff. This flexibility is necessary to ensure all patients will be able to receive safe, quality and timely care.

Conversely, what UNAC is asking for is to put in place a rigid mandate that dictates staffing based solely on numbers; their proposed model does not account other factors critical to safe patient care. These factors include but are not limited to how sick a patient is, the level of care or attention the patient needs (for example, are they minutes away from being discharged or just out of surgery) or availability of other staff, including specialty nurses ready to assist with rapid response needs, charge nurses and nurse managers. What they are asking for would prohibit any flexibility in staffing. Mandated, fixed ratios could limit our ability to absorb sudden increases in patient volume, which would cause delays in care, service interruptions and could potentially force us to turn patients away. The union is trying to force a mandate on Maui Health that doesn’t fit here in Hawaii and that the state has not mandated for other hospitals.” – Marian Horikawa-Barth, Chief Nurse Executive, Maui Health

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