Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Frustrated Hospital Workers Picket

About 35 hospital workers picketed outside Lancaster Community Hospital on Friday, carrying signs and expressing frustration over yearlong contract talks that have stalled over key issues.

The demonstration, organized by the Hospital and Service Employees Union, was the latest development in a bitter labor dispute that began more than five years ago.

Workers had never before picketed outside the 131-bed hospital. But several of them said Friday they joined the demonstration because they believe the hospital, by refusing to budge on wage and scheduling issues, is hindering efforts to hammer out a contract.

“It has been extremely frustrating,” said Sue Denning, a hospital secretary.

However, hospital officials blamed the union for blocking progress by insisting on a provision that would force all employees covered by the contract to pay union dues.

“They want us to agree to a closed shop, which would take away the right of our employees to decide” whether to join the union, said Steven C. Schmidt, administrator of the hospital.

Workers used their lunch hours and other off-duty time to carry signs on the sidewalk in front of the hospital, wearing bright green stickers that said: “Contract Now.” Several motorists driving by along busy 10th Street West honked their horns to show support.

Hospital security guards looked on from the parking lot but did not interfere with the demonstration, and no arrests were made. Hospital administrators said the protest did not affect services to patients.

More than 400 nurses, medical technicians, clerks and other workers would be affected by the proposed contract.

The demonstrators attributed the modest turnout to the fact that some employees had to remain on the job. They alleged that other employees were afraid the hospital would punish workers who took part.

“A lot of people were intimidated--scared to death that they would lose their jobs,” said Sheri Conner, a critical care nurse.

Schmidt, the hospital administrator, denied any workers would be disciplined for joining the protest. In a memo distributed Thursday, however, he warned that any workers who participated in an illegal “sickout” could be fired.

Union officials said they had never proposed a sickout.

The labor dispute dates back to November, 1988, when hospital employees selected the Hospital and Service Employees Union as their bargaining agent. The union was supported by a majority of employees in a February, 1989, election, but the hospital challenged the election’s validity.

After a long series of appeals before federal labor and court officials, the election was declared valid, and bargaining began in April, 1993.