UNION PICKETS OVER HOSPITAL CUTBACKS; HENRY MAYO ENGINEERS REDUCED FROM 13 TO SIX.Byline: Jason Takenouchi Staff Writer Union supporters picketed Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital on Wednesday to call attention to recent staff reductions in the facility's engineering unit. Operating Engineers Operating Engineers are tradepeople who operate machinery. There are two main types of workers that share this title and trade union affiliation (IUOE). The first group are workers who operate steam plants and boilers. Local 501 began the informational picket at about 8 a.m., just hours after the hospital's new support services support services Psychology Non-health care-related ancillary services–eg, transportation, financial aid, support groups, homemaker services, respite services, and other services subcontractor, Integrated Support Solutions Inc. of Van Nuys, reduced the hospital engineering staff from 13 to six. All the engineers - including the six hired by ISSI ISSI International Space Science Institute ISSI Inter-Switching System Interface ISSI International Society for Self and Identity ISSI International Society for Skin Imaging (Bochum, Germany) ISSI Internet Security Systems Inc. - were covered by a union contract with the previous subcontractor, but union officials said ISSI President Steve Eisner has refused to discuss a new contract. Nye Nelson, a business agent for the union, said the deep staffing cuts will hurt services at the Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, Valley's only hospital. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what he has in mind, but right now I think it's a dangerous way to go,'' Nelson said. ``If they had a major emergency, they wouldn't have enough hands to take care of it.'' The engineers maintain areas such as the hospital's power plant, air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. and electrical wiring Electrical wiring in general refers to insulated conductors used to carry electricity, and associated devices. This article describes general aspects of electrical wiring as used to provide power in buildings and structures, commonly referred to as building wiring. . ISSI Vice President Nashwa Eisner said her 3-year-old company is assessing staffing needs at Newhall Memorial and may hire, or lay off, engineers later. Eisner said the union's allegations about an unsafe situation are inaccurate. ``I really highly doubt that's true,'' she said. ISSI took over hospital support services at midnight Tuesday after hospital administrators declined to renew a five-year contract with the old subcontractor, Chicago-based The ServiceMaster Company. The contract included housekeeping, engineering, building maintenance and food service. According to documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service, the hospital paid ServiceMaster $4.25 million for services last year. ISSI Vice President Eisner said she was unsure whether there have been staffing reductions in other areas of the hospital. Nelson, the union business agent, said picketing would resume today. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Local 501 members stand in front of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital as part of an informational picket line supporting engineers. Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion