Unprecedented new contract provides progress for worker protections

Stacey White, a Speech Therapist, and Vaughn Benton, a Pharmacy Manager, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about their work as bargaining committee members for 1199 Service Employees International Union- Florida negotiating a new contract with HCA Healthcare. White and Benton talked about the staffing crisis and the failings of the current operations at hospitals run by HCA.

Members of 1199SEIU Florida just ratified a new contract with the HCA hospitals in South Florida. The new contract covers 19 hospitals and over 10,000 workers. White and Vaughn talked about the many months of difficult, intense bargaining involved. The new contract was a step in the right direction for issues like staffing and retention, and it came with some unprecedented wins.

Short-staffing and understaffing have become a widespread crisis in many of America’s healthcare facilities. The lack of proper pay and protections for workers led to a high turnover rate and retention problems. White and Vaughn said that turnover and retention issues just made the short-staffing crisis worse at HCA hospitals. This created a cycle of dangerous workplaces for patients and caregivers alike. 

The pair said HCA hospitals don’t have a funding issue, as they are one of the largest and most profitable healthcare companies in the world. They can afford to respect, protect, pay and staff their hospitals properly with their billions in profits, White and Vaughn added. They also talked about the conditions they both deal with in their individual fields and many of the shortcomings they’ve noticed in workplace conditions. They believe the care and retention issues have just worsened by state officials and lobbyists who favor big business.

Listen to the entire episode to learn more.