1,700 Workers Strike 7 Bay Area Hospitals

About 1,700 dietary workers, housekeepers, laundry workers, licensed vocational nurses and technicians struck seven Bay Area hospitals Tuesday.

Officials said that patients would not be affected by the walkout, although union spokesmen disputed that.

Meanwhile, negotiations between six of the hospitals and a union representing 2,000 registered nurses continued. The registered nurses have set a strike deadline for next Tuesday.

Picket lines went up at 6 a.m. The strike was the first in the 50-year history of Local 250 of the Hospital and Institutional Workers.

Level of Care Disputed

“We’ll be able to continue the same level of patient care,” said Karen Henry, a lawyer representing the hospitals. Six hospitals in San Francisco and one in neighboring Daly City have hired additional workers and also will use management employees, she said.

Union officials disputed the hospitals’ claim.

“The union takes the stand that that attitude is irresponsible. You can’t take away 1,700 workers from seven institutions and expect it not to have any effect,” said Local 250 chief negotiator Joe Twarog.

As Affiliated Hospitals of San Francisco, the seven institutions had negotiated with Local 250 for a new two-year contract since February. The hospitals are St. Mary’s, St. Francis, Marshall Hale, Children’s, Pacific Presbyterian and Mt. Zion in San Francisco and Seton Medical Center in Daly City.

Hospital workers also were voting whether to walk out Aug. 2 at French Hospital in San Francisco. The union also scheduled a strike for next Tuesday at St. Luke’s Hospital.

Mediator Adjourns Talks

A federal mediator, who has supervised negotiations since April, adjourned talks on Saturday because no progress had been made. Both sides blame each other for the impasse.

Health insurance was the major issue in the dispute between the hospitals and Local 250. Affiliated Hospitals’ offer provided full coverage at no cost to employees, but a new provision would require contributions of $30 a month from full-time employees for family benefits.

Also at issue were wages, with Affiliated Hospitals offering 3% raises for all licensed vocational nurses and lower-tier employees and no increase for higher-tier workers.