Nurses union opposes changes to Providence paid leave plans

When care providers at Providence Hospitals across the state vote to strike, there must be serious problems. That simple fact is undeniable — regardless of how Providence tries to spin it.

Providence executives have turned away from the organization’s mission of serving the poor and vulnerable. Between 2012 and 2017 Providence CEO Rod Hochman’s compensation ballooned more than 600 percent to $10.5 million, while Providence top executives earned more than $40 million. It is likely even higher now, but we do not have access to that data. With a new focus on mergers and acquisitions, Providence has now become the third largest health care organization in the nation, taking in nearly $1 billion in revenue over expenses (“profit”) in the first six months of 2019 alone.

Obscene executive compensation and leveraged mergers have not come without cost. This past May, Providence announced it was laying off 700 administrative workers from Renton corporate offices, outsourcing these jobs overseas. Over my 12 years of service at Providence St. Peter Hospital, I have witnessed the loss of our retirement pension plans, reduction of our health care benefits, and now blatant attempts to steal workers’ long standing paid leave.

Providence wants to slash caregiver’s paid leave and replace it with a short-term disability plan most workers will be unable to access until they have been on leave more than 13 weeks, while sidestepping their responsibility to cover sick leave and passing the burden to taxpayers through Washington Paid Family Medical Leave. Under Providence’s aggressive proposals, I personally stand to lose 58 hours of paid leave annually. Averaged systemwide, this represents the siphoning of nearly $350 million annually out of caregiver’s pockets.

Furthermore, Providence plans to cash out existing employee sick time at a fraction of actual value. They have offered me less than $300 for my banked sick leave, which has a current value of $10,000.

Nurses suffer work-related injuries at rates higher than many other professions, including construction workers. We currently use our sick time to care for ourselves and our sick dependents. Providence’s proposed plan would not allow that. We depend on our paid leave to care for ourselves and our families, so that we can in turn properly care for you and your loved ones.

Additionally, nurses face violence in the workplace at rates higher than any other profession. Yet Providence has taken a hard stance against a contractually guaranteed union member position on the hospital Workplace Violence Prevention Committee.

Labor relations at St. Peter Hospital have sunk to new lows with hospital administration becoming increasingly aggressive. On multiple occasions, administration has targeted on-site union meetings, previously held for years without issue, surrounding members with security and threatening arrest. These acts of intimidation and other illegal actions have led to our filing Unfair Labor charges against Providence.

Medical errors remain the third leading cause of death nationwide. Nearly every single one of you will pass through our doors at some point, whether as patients or loved ones. As primary caregivers, if we are exhausted at the bedside we cannot effectively care for you.

We remain hopeful that Providence will offer us a fair settlement that respects our service and allows us to safely care for you so that we may avoid a strike. We are grateful for our community’s support during these times.