240 Workers Stage One-Day Strike at Hospital in Lynwood

About 240 technicians and licensed vocational nurses went on strike for one day Wednesday at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, contending that the hospital, which changed hands this year, has stalled negotiations for a union contract.

But registered nurses, doctors and other workers among the 1,700 hospital staff members stayed on the job.

A hospital spokeswoman said there was “no disruption of service.” The strikers are expected to return to work today.

Spokeswoman Carol Lee Thorpe said Wednesday was an inopportune time for a strike.

State health-care cuts proposed this week by the Davis administration would cost the hospital, which serves many Medicare and poor patients, at least $2.4 million in the coming fiscal year.

Several dozen workers picketed the facility Wednesday. Their negotiator, Steve Nutter of the Service Employees International Union, said the hospital had been delaying negotiations since the workers voted to unionize two years ago. He said the union was demanding two 10% wage increases over the next two years as well as a 100% employer-paid health insurance plan.

“Health-care workers deserve at the very least to have their health-care needs taken care of,” Nutter said.

Oscar Rivera, a respiratory therapist at the hospital for seven years, said another issue is understaffing of vital services.

He said he is frequently assigned seven intensive care patients when he can only handle four.

Thorpe denied that the hospital is stalling negotiations.

New talks are scheduled for next week, she said.

“It is disappointing to receive such a communication at a time when our negotiation teams are working hard to finalize a contract covering the technical unit employees of the medical center,” she said.

“We have not reached any impasse in the negotiation process,” she said.