Aug 17, 2008  
Proud to be Preposterous
 
...who’s preposterous?...What about a parking structure built before safe staffing and fair wages were achieved? "Park your car as we keep you underpaid, overworked, and ignored. If you don’t like it go elsewhere. Besides, do you really think you’re worth Red Bluff wages?"

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Preposterously, Enloe union members want wages equal to Mercy Medical, Shasta Regional and St. Elizabeth’s. Are our administration’s wages lower than those at St Elizabeth’s? No, they compare favorably. Do our doctors make less than Mercy Medical? I don’t think so! The nurses fair favorably because they fought for it.

Our department coworkers get market survey raises but not our union members. I guess standards of living don’t rise for us who are being punished for wanting safe staffing so employees aren’t stretched trying to do more with less; less staff, less time, less morale, less safety with more concern for patients, AND, an administration caring only for quotas and profits.

The latest profit sharing venture of our administration is a prime example with bonuses for a reduction in the ratio of full-time employees to occupied beds. Can you say “lay off”? If we don’t make their quota, there will be no bonus. Can you say cheap? Now, who’s preposterous?

Some things don’t change. Yet employees get kudos from patients. Who cares at Enloe? Could it be the staff? Staff who are overworked, underpaid and ignored, who don’t want to, but will strike if they have to preposterously enough. So…
• Is patient safety preposterous?
• Is safe staffing preposterous?
• Is job security preposterous?
• Are fair wages really preposterous?
• Is concern for patients preposterous?

What about a parking structure built before safe staffing and fair wages were achieved? "Park your car as we keep you underpaid, overworked, and ignored. If you don’t like it go elsewhere. Besides, do you really think you’re worth Red Bluff wages?" Both happened.