Healthcare workers at the Hi-Desert Medical Center were picketing outside the facility Thursday morning. They are asking for the parent company Tenet to find caregivers to fill the open positions and provide more support for current workers.
United Healthcare Workers West union reps were holding signs on the corner of White Feather Road off Highway 62 – at the entrance to Hi Desert Medical and the Joshua Tree Superior Court house. Cars honked their horns in support of the small gathering, which was the last of 12 southern California hospitals that the union has picketed since July 11th.
The union says that since COVID they have been understaffed and overworked.
I spoke to SEIU UHW member Jason Brooks – who says that the parent company Tenet – who owns the southern California medical facilities – needs to step up their efforts to fill positions:
Jason Brooks: “So right now, what’s happening is that with the overstaffing, the current staff is being asked to fill the extra shifts… that would be filled if we were able to hire but we haven’t been able to fill those positions.”
Union Representative Judith Bustamonte says that the picketing is about awareness right now –
Judith Bustamonte: “We’re gearing up, we’re letting community know. That we are serious about this that we’re not going to take it.“
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West has more than 100,000 members across California.
Press Release: Healthcare Workers at Tenet Hospitals to Picket in July Calling for Additional Support in the Workplace
