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Supervisors grill Sutter CPMC absence as caregivers say post‑strike commitments go unfilled
Summary
At a Board of Supervisors oversight hearing, union leaders and CPMC caregivers alleged that California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) has failed to implement commitments from last winter’s UHW settlement, accusing CPMC of using a merger review as a pretext to avoid testimony; the hearing was continued to Sept. 11.
Chair Supervisor Tom Ammiano opened a Government Audit & Oversight Committee hearing on staffing and labor compliance at Sutter’s California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), noting representatives from CPMC and CPMC‑Sutter had declined to appear because of an attorney general review of a proposed merger.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin framed the committee’s goal as checking whether CPMC had honored three post‑strike commitments: functioning staffing committees, a jointly administered training and upgrade fund, and a guarantee not to interfere with organizing. Peskin said the hospital’s absence “is not limited to just the merger” and called their rationale “a smoke screen.”
Representatives of United Healthcare Workers (UHW) described the 60‑day strike and alleged contract breaches. Sal Roselli and John Borsos told the committee CPMC has not implemented a training/upgrading program and has tried to use staffing committees to reduce staff. Borsos said an arbitrator ordered CPMC to pay $170,000 for expenses tied to an employer campaign to oppose union organizing and alleged the hospital hired Management Science Associates (MSA), which he called a “union‑busting consulting firm.”
Caregivers who testified during public comment described specific grievances. Helen York Jones, a shop steward of 38 years, said management ignored repeated requests for grievance meetings and that she has “over 20 outstanding grievance[s] on everything from wrongful termination to unpaid overtime.” Valentin Garcia, a certified nursing assistant, said CPMC has used the staffing committee “to make cuts to staffing” and has begun subcontracting in environmental services. Della Reid, a senior licensed vocational nurse, said managers distributed anti‑union literature and intimidated coworkers who sought union representation.
Supervisors repeatedly pressed witnesses about whether CPMC is acting in good faith. Several members said they were troubled that CPMC declined to rebut the allegations in person. Chair Ammiano and others said the committee would continue the St. Luke’s‑related hearings to allow CPMC an opportunity to appear and to permit more public testimony; the items were continued to September 11.
The committee did not take a formal vote on CPMC compliance at the hearing; supervisors asked staff to arrange follow‑up testimony and requested written guarantees from Sutter Health before any substantive service changes at St. Luke’s.
The committee reconvenes on Sept. 11 to resume public testimony and to seek responses from CPMC and Sutter Health.
