At Loretto Hospital, dozens of underpaid and overworked medical technicians left the building early Monday morning on strike.
On July 31, 2023, many professionals went on strike after what’s been months of negotiating. To workers’ dismay, the talk of a better contract involving better pay and incentives for the understaffed workers was left on the table as management denies the availability of more funds available.
In the past, instead of increasing wages for already-hired certified nurses and technicians, Loretto has a history of hiring temporary workers to make up for staffing shortages — paying hourly wages three times more than full-time workers.
Executive Vice President of SEIU Healthcare, Erica Bland-Durosinmi, represents workers striking.
We’ve been at the table … proposals have gone back and forth, but we’ve been unable to reach an agreement at this time…People don’t stay because they’re not investing in the staff in a real way.
During the pandemic, we told workers, they are heroes and they deserved everything – here we are in a moment where that can be honored with a contract that workers have every right to negotiate, and management is not showing that same respect and sentiment in these negotiations.
Overworked Technicians At the End of Their Rope
It appears that COVID-19 exemplified an already overlooked issue within Loretto Hospital.
During the outbreak of COVID, Loretto incurred controversies about its catering toward organizations close to Loretto executives, like Trump associates and a suburban church associated with Loretto Hospital CEO.
Instead of people coming to an event held by the hospital itself, there are numerous times when Loretto moved its staff outside of the hospital to the Church itself to administer over 200 vaccines to Church members.
Around this time, frontline workers and citizens aged 65 and up were eligible for the vaccine shot, whilst everyone was desperately looking for the vaccine. Situations like this include Loretto conducting off-site vaccinations, including providing vaccines to ineligible recipients like Eric Trump.
As of now, the Loretto worker strike will last 10 days.
Written by Brielle R. Buford
Sources:
Block Club Chicago: As Strike Looms, Loretto Hospital Workers Decry Dangerous Conditions, Marathon Hours
Block Club Chicago: Loretto Hospital Vaccinated CEO’s Suburban Church — While West Siders Were Calling Daily For Shots
WGN: Hundreds of Loretto Hospital workers on strike Monday
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Roger Blackwell‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Inventorchris‘ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
