‘Just getting tired.’ Kadlec employees plan picket after months with no contract

Kadlec Regional Medical Center employees are tired, stretched thin and want better pay.

They worry if nothing changes it will hurt patient care and limit the number of people they can serve. And that’s a big concern as the largest Tri-Cities hospital faces a deluge of patients because of COVID-19.

“The morale levels are the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Becky Strode, a 26-year telemetry monitor tech for the Richland hospital. “When you look at the staff, they’re understaffed and we’re just getting tired, extremely tired.”

Strode was one of about 15 members of Service Employees International Union Healthcare 1199NW who announced Thursday that the union plans an informational picket Sept. 1.

The picket will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a rally from 4 to 4:30 p.m. along Swift Boulevard in front of Kadlec’s parking garage.

The union, which includes more than 900 employees ranging from certified nursing assistants to housekeepers, has been out of a contract since November and in mediation for a month.

The union is looking for a three-year contract, which would only be its second in its short history with the hospital.

While they have made some progress, they are still stuck on wages, better access to education, incentive pay for extra shifts, and retention bonuses to keep people at the hospital.

Strode, who has been part of the bargaining committee, said the hospital is losing cleaning staff to McDonald’s where they can earn more.

“It explains why we have people quitting and leaving,” Strode said. “The work is less dangerous at other facilities. You’re not being exposed to pathogens. You don’t require the extra training that you do to work in a health care facility.”

Some departments are down by a third of their staff, she said. In one week, 11 housekeepers quit. They also have employees not able to work because they must quarantine because of a COVID exposure.

The loss of all of these workers puts an extra strain on the people still able to work as a surge of COVID-19 patients is filling intensive care units and beds at hospitals in the Tri-Cities and throughout the region.

And it also comes as Kadlec saw a five-year high in some revenues that should be reinvested into local patient care, said Jenelle Swentik , a certified nursing assistant noted during Thursday’s presentation.

Kadlec’s response

While Kadlec officials did not respond to news about the planned picket or the continuing contract mediation, they said Kadlec caregivers are deeply committed to providing safe, compassionate care.

“Our team has shown steadfast courage and compassion and has worked tirelessly to support our patients and community through a very challenging time,” according to a statement from the hospital. “We recognize that many of our caregivers are exhausted, both physically and emotionally, from the impacts of the past year and a half.”

Hospital officials said they have developed a number of programs and benefits to help caregivers during the pandemic, including emergency backup child care and elder care, additional time off and counseling and mental health services.

They also are working to recruit, retain and recognize staff, and trying to address national shortages of health care workers with a variety of strategies.

“We are proud of the incredible work of our caregivers and are grateful for their unwavering service to our patients and the community,” the statement said.

This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.