By Alwyn Loa

To the nurses of Community Hospital Long Beach,

I am writing you today in the hopes that you will take a moment to consider the big picture before you vote on a referendum to unionize nurses at Community Hospital Long Beach. I believe we can all agree that unions can play an important role in protecting workers rights and preventing mistreatment by unscrupulous employers. However, I urge you to carefully consider whether this is actually necessary at CHLB. Deciding to support unionization will not only affect nurses, it will also have ripple effects across our entire organization. I acknowledge that nurses have concerns over staffing levels and patient safety. Patients are the reason, after all, that we all have jobs here. I also know how important benefits and pay are during these tough economic times. We all want what’s best for ourselves and our families.

We should not quickly forget that CHLB has gone from the brink of insolvency and imminent closure to joining one of the most financially sound not-for-profit health care organizations in the country. As we were reminded today by our Chief Executive Officer, Diana Hendel, 500 jobs were at stake when the hospital nearly closed last year. This, obviously, would have been devastating to the employees had they lost their jobs. But even worse, it would have drastically reduced access to health care in East Long Beach.

In the face of skepticism and discouragement, it took a leader with dedication to her principles and values to see that CHLB did not close down. Many people questioned the true intentions of MemorialCare Health System when CHLB was purchased. It required a tremendous amount of courage and discipline to face the critics and remain committed to the mission we all share; to improve the health and well being of individuals, families and our communities through innovation and the pursuit of excellence.

I do not discredit the concerns our nurses may have over their benefits, pay, and working conditions. As dedicated employees, we all deserve fair treatment and the best possible compensation and benefits. As your colleague I ask you, are you better off now than you were before MHS? Has MHS done its best to improve the equipment, facilities, and staffing for our patients? Has MHS taken every effort to incorporate CHLB into the MHS family? Is MHS a good-faith partner for the interests of CHLB employees? Personally, my answer to each of these questions is a resounding yes!

What will unionization accomplish for you if it happens at CHLB? To start, it will require you to pay union dues out of your paycheck whether you support their views or not. If you are Per-Diem they will charge you dues without the requirement to represent you. If the union goes on strike, you may be caught in the middle. If the strike is prolonged and protracted, it will cause enormous legal costs to both sides involved. In the end money spent on strikes and union negotiations could be better spent on our patients, equipment, facilities, and employee compensation and benefits.

So now our nurses are left to decide for themselves whether they have faith in MHS to do what is best for our hospital and its employees. Or, they may decide that their trust is best bestowed upon union representatives to advocate for them. I believe that MHS has acted in good faith and deserves your support. Please vote no on the referendum to unionize CHLB nurses.

Sincerely,

Alwyn “Guy” Loa, CNMT

Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Community Hospital Long Beach, MemorialCare Health System