HOSPITAL WORKERS MARCH FOR PAY.

Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO Staff Writer

LANCASTER -- About 50 Antelope Valley Hospital workers marched to administration offices Friday to protest what they say are administrators being unresponsive and dragging their feet in contract negotiations.

The employees say hospital administrators have not responded to their requests for pay raises, and they were particularly irked to find out that management and other staff are getting a 5 percent raise.

``They are dragging their feet in negotiations and not responding to proposals in a timely manner,'' said Duane Roberts, a respiratory therapist and bargaining team member. ``The catalyst today was, we have twice in the last month requested a pay raise to help employees keep up with the cost of living and we twice have not received a response. Yesterday, they announced a pay raise for the highest-paid employees of the hospital.''

Negotiations started in July between the hospital and Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers West.

The union in February won the right to represent more than 1,100 eligible licensed vocational nurses, food service workers, clerical staff and other support-service workers.

Hospital spokeswoman Jackie Weder said the union's proposals will be considered.

``I know there's been a number of meetings. There's several hospital representatives from both sides that are participating,'' Weder said. ``I imagine it's going to follow its due course.''

Weder said the 5 percent pay hike referred to by Roberts includes not only top administrators but workers like secretaries and pharmacy technicians who are not in the top levels of the pay scale. The hospital's registered nurses are represented by the California Nurses Association and are getting a 5.5 percent raise.

Roberts said SEIU first proposed a $1-an-hour raise, to which hospital administrators responded that they wanted a percent figure. The union then asked for a 5 percent pay hike.

Friday, Roberts said, the employees gathered in the hospital cafeteria and walked a short distance to the double-door entrance to the administration wing to speak with management. They were greeted by a security guard and a hospital administrator, said Roberts.

John Sullivan, vice president of human resources, asked to meet with three or four of the group, but Roberts said that was declined.

``There are more than three or four people who are concerned about issues they want to discuss. To accurately convey that there are 1,100 people who are concerned, we felt it was important that John see the number of people who were willing to come and attempt to speak with him,'' Roberts said.

With no meeting, the crowd dispersed before noon.

Other top hospital executives were at a strategic planning retreat in Las Vegas with physicians and other hospital staff, Weder said.

``What it all boils down to is that the administration is really refusing to negotiate with us in any kind of honorable and straightforward manner,'' Roberts said. ``All we are trying to accomplish is that health care workers at Antelope Valley Hospital have standards of protection and compensation that are competitive in the marketplace. We have workers who are making $8 an hour and doing the work of three people.''