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Arroyo Grande Hospital employees protest poor wages

August 11, 2013

ag hospArroyo Grande Hospital employees held a protest on Saturday against Dignity Health over lower than market wages.

The Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers, say they want the same pay as Marian Regional Medical Center and French Hospital Medical Center employees. Union workers at the other two hospitals make about 10 percent more for doing the same work.

Catholic Healthcare West, which operated the two San Luis Obispo County and the one Santa Maria hospital, changed its name in Jan. 2012 to Dignity Health and allegedly cut its affiliation with the Catholic Church. Shortly after the split, French and Marian hospital employees announced plans for a strike if Dignity Health was unable to come to an agreement on new contracts.

The agreements were signed, but not with employees at Arroyo Grande Hospital.

The union is currently trying to negotiate a contract similar to those at the other two hospitals locally operated by Dignity Health. If an agreement is not reached, employees are planning further protests.

The hospital chain now known as Dignity Health, a non-profit, posted $917 million in profits in 2010-11.

 


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“Arroyo Grande Hospital employees protest poor wages” Me too! I protest my poor wages. The problem is I have no one to protest to. I’m the self employed American…a Dinosaur. I can’t hear you seiu…I’m too busy trying to keep my head above water…So seiu you can bite me.


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Non-profit does not mean NO profit. Do the math. If they took in only what they spent and broke even every year, they would not be able to replace old equipment, build the new rehab hospital, upkeep, etc. Non-profit only means they don’t pay taxes on the income the hospital generates. The profits do not get distributed to shareholders-as Sierra Vista’s owner Tenet does. The profits must be used to further the mission of the non-profit.

As for the issue of raises, Obamacare is cutting payments to hospitals. All hospitals across the country are facing drastic reductions in payments from our “single payer” Medicare. There are cases of hospitals closing due to the heavy hand of Obamacare. Google- San Diego Hospice. An institution for decades that provided “non-profit” care to the dying is bankrupt thanks to changes in Medicare brought by Obamacare. Those union employees that insist on squeezing blood from a turnip may find themselves out of jobs if AG becomes unviable as an acute care hospital.


1

Thank God for Obamacare! Now with the totally fair and unbiased IRS in charge of healthcare everything will be just great!


0

Poor Republicans..


“Republicans Are In a Full Blown Panic as the Affordable Care Act Grows More Successful”

http://www.politicususa.com/2013/08/11/republicans-full-blown-panic-affordable-care-act-grows-successful.html


0

Now that’s an un-biased report, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha


0

FULLY non-profit, universal, comprehensive, single payer health care. THAT’s the solution.

Just like the other civilized nations, and even some third world ones that are better at health care than this stinkhole United States that is only 315 million chest thumping idiots.


No other nation has, or would ever, trade their national HC system for ours that is greed based on profit and employer.

They know that it’s a remnant from the slavery legacy, and they want no part of it.


But with 315 million morons in this country that accept crumbs from the table like they were manna from God, I don’t expect any revolutionary changes anytime soon.


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..and yet, here you are: living in this stinkhole and avoiding those better third world ones.


You are your own worst enemy.


0

When they are able to give the care and compassion that the other hospitals do, maybe they will be paid the same wage.


I was recently in AG hospital with chest pains and not only was the ER Doctor a jerk. I finally got the attention of a janitor so that a nurse could come disconnect things so I could use the bathroom. They them left me in the er for a full hour, and totally ignored me, until the doctor came in and released me.


I think next time I will take my chances and go to another hospital in Slo where at least I am treated like a human being and given decent medical attention.


As the locals say, you go to AG Hospital to die, not for health care.


Every time the 3 hospitals get bought out, the new buyer never wants to take AG hospital, I think that says a lot about the bad service they provide.


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Really, get over the selfish “profit” for the big administrators, CEO’s, etc.

———————

Good luck with that one. Why not just ask to change human nature?


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Here’s how the market works. If you think another hospital will pay you better, then go to work for that hospital. If the hospital you currently work for can no longer attract good employees, they will increase their pay. It seems pretty straightforward to me.


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Hey, hey: HEY! None of that. If you put up your money to open a business, it is YOUR OBLIGATION to provide for me and anyone else who works for you. What kind of logic is this, “go elsewhere if you think you’re worth more?” Psshah! Well, I never!


:/


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I very recently spent 13 days (June 22nd through July 4th) in the Arroyo Grande hospital due to a collapsed lung and I’ve never been treated as well anywhere by anyone. I was treated like royalty by each and every member of the staff there, so much so that when I was transfered to UCLA Medical Center, I didn’t want to leave!


The staff there, the Doctors, Nurses, Aides and the house keeping staff were all top shelf people and deserve the highest praise as well as the best pay available!


The food was also great, better even than most of the Mom and Pop cafes that I frequent in AG, so the kitchen staff should also be included in the pay raises!!!


C’mon Catholic Healthcare West, pay these great people what the are worth and deserve.


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I should have said “Dignity Health”, not “Catholic Healthcare West”.


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HOW can you be non-profit and make $917 million IN PROFIT!!! And then, treat your Arroyo Grande hard working front line workers different to French and Marian. Really, get over the selfish “profit” for the big administrators, CEO’s, etc. and treat your employees like your name, WITH DIGNITY!


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From inc. magazine: “Nonprofit corporations, by definition, exist not to make money but to fulfill one of the purposes recognized by federal law: charitable, educational, religious, scientific or literary activities. Under federal tax law and state corporate statutes, however, ****as long as a nonprofit corporation is organized and operated for a recognized nonprofit purpose, it CAN take in more money than it expends in conducting its activities. In other words, it CAN make a profit.*****


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And the best part about being a non-profit is that there are no laws or caps on what the upper management and/or Board of Directors compensation can be… in other words, create a non-profit, take advantage of the non-profit tax status with the IRS, enjoy donations from the citizens who”feel for your cause” and pay whatever the enterprise can afford to its management and BOD.


Take a hard look at some of the “non-profits” that solicit your dollars on T.V. and then make up your mind.


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