Informational Picket at UCSF

UPTE-CWA Local 9119, the union representing nearly 800 health care workers at UC San Francisco Medical Center will hold informational pickets at 3 locations on Wednesday, October 11th to demand that UC management address staffing shortages.

UCSF Medical Center employees are the area’s lowest paid health care workers. UCSF caregivers are leaving in droves to other area hospitals that pay significantly more. UC has recently proposed a 1% pay cut through increased pension contributions.

“UCSF health care workers are already severely underpaid”, said Sharon Valdez, UCSF Clinical Lab Scientist. “Taking a pay cut in the form of increased pension contributions will mean that UCSF will fail to recruit and retain the best staff.”

UC is demanding that employees start contributing into the pension plan, despite a recent actuarial report (http://www.upte.org/VenutiReport.pdf) that questions many of their assumptions.

“I love my patients and clients and the health care teams with whom I work”, said Chris Radke-Schmidt, UCSF Licensed Clinical Social Worker. “It’s a shame that UC doesn’t realize that cutting corners by paying people as little as possible means that patient care is compromised when they can’t attract qualified professionals.”

UPTE-CWA Local 9119 represents over 2,300 health care workers, such as Clinical Social Workers, Pharmacists and Clinical Lab Scientists, Audiologists, and Social Work Associates throughout the 5 UC Medical Centers, and the 9 campus student health centers.

The informational picket will be held at 3 locations on Wednesday, October 11, 2006. Two will be held from 11:30am-1:00pm at the UCSF Medical Center, 513 Parnassus Ave., and San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Ave., in front of the main hospital. The third action will take place at the China Basin campus, 185 Berry St, San Francisco.