Informational picket to protest Southcoast Health System’s continued push for damaging wage freezes that would harm patient care and local workers
Wareham, MA – Dozens of Tobey Hospital workers and healthcare advocates will picket outside the hospital on Friday to protest a series of Southcoast Health System financial decisions that are threatening local hospital employees.
Southcoast Health System is the parent company of Tobey Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, and Charlton Memorial. For the past eight months, workers at Tobey Hospital have been trying to prevent damaging wage freezes and benefit reductions that would harm workers whose wages already lag behind those at other comparable facilities.
Forty percent of 1199SEIU members at Tobey Hospital — a group that includes certified nursing assistants, housekeeping staff, technologists, patient access staff and transport personnel — are paid less than $15 an hour. Even some employees who have worked at Tobey for more than 15 years are still paid less than this living wage rate.
“Tobey Hospital plays a vital role in maintaining the health of our community, yet too often frontline caregivers here are forced to make difficult decisions about whether to pay rent or buy groceries, because they can’t afford both,” said Jerry Fishbein, vice president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. “Southcoast executives continue to insist upon poverty wages for these workers. We hope they will rethink their decisions and seek a more balanced approach.”
In recent months, Southcoast executives have tried to paint a picture of a struggling healthcare company in order to freeze wages and take away benefits from workers who have dedicated their lives to caring for others and to ensuring quality care is available locally in the community.
While Southcoast Hospitals Group has posted positive financial results for the past five years and enjoyed a tremendously successful 2014, many of these profits are being siphoned away from the hospitals. This includes a staggering $86 million last year alone.
Southcoast executives continue to insist upon a wage freeze for Tobey workers even though wages lag behind those at many comparable Massachusetts facilities. Workers are calling for greater transparency and urging Southcoast to prioritize investments in workers and patient care.
WHO: Tobey Hospital workers, healthcare advocates, community allies
WHAT: Informational picket outside Tobey Hospital to advocate for a fair contract and to urge Southcoast executives to stop making financial decisions that are damaging to patient care and local hospital workers.
WHERE: Outside Tobey Hospital, corner of Sandwich Road and Main Street, Wareham, Mass.
WHEN: Friday, June 19th, 2015
TIME: 2:00 p.m. EST
# # #
Representing more than 52,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts and nearly 400,000 workers across the East Coast, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all. 1199SEIU is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union.
Wareham, MA – Dozens of Tobey Hospital workers and healthcare advocates will picket outside the hospital on Friday to protest a series of Southcoast Health System financial decisions that are threatening local hospital employees.
Southcoast Health System is the parent company of Tobey Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, and Charlton Memorial. For the past eight months, workers at Tobey Hospital have been trying to prevent damaging wage freezes and benefit reductions that would harm workers whose wages already lag behind those at other comparable facilities.
Forty percent of 1199SEIU members at Tobey Hospital — a group that includes certified nursing assistants, housekeeping staff, technologists, patient access staff and transport personnel — are paid less than $15 an hour. Even some employees who have worked at Tobey for more than 15 years are still paid less than this living wage rate.
“Tobey Hospital plays a vital role in maintaining the health of our community, yet too often frontline caregivers here are forced to make difficult decisions about whether to pay rent or buy groceries, because they can’t afford both,” said Jerry Fishbein, vice president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. “Southcoast executives continue to insist upon poverty wages for these workers. We hope they will rethink their decisions and seek a more balanced approach.”
In recent months, Southcoast executives have tried to paint a picture of a struggling healthcare company in order to freeze wages and take away benefits from workers who have dedicated their lives to caring for others and to ensuring quality care is available locally in the community.
While Southcoast Hospitals Group has posted positive financial results for the past five years and enjoyed a tremendously successful 2014, many of these profits are being siphoned away from the hospitals. This includes a staggering $86 million last year alone.
Southcoast executives continue to insist upon a wage freeze for Tobey workers even though wages lag behind those at many comparable Massachusetts facilities. Workers are calling for greater transparency and urging Southcoast to prioritize investments in workers and patient care.
WHO: Tobey Hospital workers, healthcare advocates, community allies
WHAT: Informational picket outside Tobey Hospital to advocate for a fair contract and to urge Southcoast executives to stop making financial decisions that are damaging to patient care and local hospital workers.
WHERE: Outside Tobey Hospital, corner of Sandwich Road and Main Street, Wareham, Mass.
WHEN: Friday, June 19th, 2015
TIME: 2:00 p.m. EST
# # #
Representing more than 52,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts and nearly 400,000 workers across the East Coast, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all. 1199SEIU is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union.
