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Moments before day shift started, members of the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) staged an informational picket at the Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center. Starting at 6:30 AM, the picket-line came amid months of stalled contract negotiations.
Inland Empire workers marched with each other, but also alongside fellow Kaiser employees across Southern California. UNAC/UHCP members marched informational picket-lines in Downey, West Los Angeles, San Diego
Alongside UNAC/UHCP were fellow members of the Alliance of Health Care Unions (the Alliance), a federation of 23 local unions representing over 60,000 Kaiser Permanente employees. Solidarity between these different unions was strong, with members doing security, setting up food, and walking the line.
Alliance member Teamsters Local 166 was able to bring out Teamster semi-trucks from Locals 63 and District Council 12 in support of UNAC/UHCP. Their impact was both felt and heard, as they circled the hospital and honked.
Workers marched while highlighting some of their core contract demands. These were: safe staffing levels necessary quality patient care, a fair contract, and respect for all healthcare workers.
Strength in Unity
As the day shift started, workers began to gather to hear remarks from select speakers, guided by UNAC/UHCP member Connie Martin-Rivera. These speakers included:
- Joe Guzynski, Executive Director, UNAC/UHCP
- Charmaine S. Morales, President, UNAC/UHCP
- Moises Alarcon, Executive Treasurer, UNAC/UHCP
- Elizabeth Hawkins, Executive Secretary, UNAC/UHCP & Inland Empire Labor Council, Executive Board Member
- Nicole Wooten, Registered Nurse, UNAC/UHCP
- Doug Wong, Physician Assistant, UNAC/UHCP
- Malinda Greene, Pharmacist, United Pharmacists of Southern California
- Riverside City Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes
- Riverside City Councilmember Sean Mill
Elizabeth Hawkins spoke of how everybody present represented both the power of the union, and UNAC/UHCP values. These values were present in every action across Southern California. They are solidarity, respect, dignity, community, and truth. UNAC/UHCP’s slogan rallied their members around these values, with the crowd chanting “Together we rise, together we win!“
Members began to disperse with the end of the rally, taking a renewed resolve to fight for their patients and their coworkers with them.
