As the presidents of the healthcare unions symbolizing Windham Local community Memorial Hospital (WCMH)’s nurses and allied overall health specialists we are obligated to ring the “bed alarm” when client care is jeopardized. We have been carrying out that since negotiations with the hospital’s administration and attorneys with Hartford Healthcare (HHC), the firm that owns the acute-treatment facility, started to bathroom down this summer time.
Our nearby nurses union, the Windham Federation of Skilled Nurses, has because moved to authorize an unfair labor follow strike at WCMH. We know that this announcement might seem to be frightening, but we have not arrive to this choice evenly.
Considering that December of 2021, the caregivers at WCMH have been laser-concentrated on functioning together with medical center management to resolve our region’s individual care crisis. Alternatively than recognizing its workforce by agreeing to prevalent-feeling remedies, the chain’s attorneys have refused fair wage raises and pushed greater personnel insurance coverage fees.
Since HHC took around WCMH, there has been a extraordinary change from excellent affected individual care to optimistic functioning margins. HHC’s “partnership” and acquisition has led to the loss of critical products and services these as our Intensive Treatment Device (ICU) and our Labor and Delivery Unit.
Following virtually two years of deliberation, the state’s Place of work of Health Strategy has proposed a closing determination denying Hartford Healthcare’s software to terminate maternity services at WCMH, a choice which HHC has contested. HHC is currently named in a course-motion lawsuit for overcharging clients in its tier method, and has also been taken to courtroom by Trinity Health of New England for monopolizing health care providers.
While our nurses get ready to get this serious step, leaders and activists with the hospital’s assistance and upkeep union, WCMH United Personnel, are challenging at work assessing their up coming ways. Their membership stands sturdy in support of the nurses’ choice to acquire this extraordinary motion.
We are not on your own in an marketplace where overall health chain CEOs and their lawyers are significantly turning a blind eye to the phone calls of caregivers to put clients before earnings. Nurses and well being specialists are having collective motion – and in a lot of cases, that involves strikes – to accomplish this significant aim on behalf of the communities we provide.
We are now calling on patients, their households and all who share our fears to join us. Assistance us hold this heartless health care chain’s executives and attorneys accountable by signing and sharing our petition today.
Andrea Riley, RN is President of the Windham Federation of Specialist Nurses, AFT Nearby 5041. Heather Howlett, CA, is President of the WCMH United Workers, AFT Community 5099.
Jointly the authors depict roughly 400 registered nurses and allied overall health experts at the Hartford Healthcare (HHC)-owned Windham Community Memorial Medical center (WCMH) in Windham and its husband or wife healthcare amenities.