For Immediate Release: 

December 11, 2023

Media Contact: [email protected]

LOS ANGELES – Healthcare workers across four Prime Healthcare facilities in Southern California have delivered a 10-day strike notice, as management has continuously refused to bargain in good faith to fix unsafe working and patient care conditions. This decision marks the second strike in a year for these caregivers who have urged management to provide safe staffing levels and offer additional support to attract and retain hospital workers.

The unfair labor practice strike is scheduled to take place December 20-26 at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center, and Encino Hospital Medical Center, if negotiations between Prime executives and frontline healthcare workers do not see progress.

“Healthcare workers are being intimidated and threatened for wanting to improve our hospitals while Prime executives bargain in bad faith over solutions to the staffing crisis,” said Lola Aguilar, a Unit Secretary at St. Francis Medical Center. “Striking is not something we take lightly, especially during the holiday season but we are left with no choice. We are dedicated to providing the best possible care to our patients, but chronic understaffing makes it incredibly challenging. Our patients deserve better.”

This action follows a similar strike in October, where approximately 1,800 workers from Prime Healthcare, represented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, went on a five-day unfair labor practice strike.

In 2021, Prime Healthcare Services and the Prime Healthcare Foundation made over $263 million in profits from their California facilities. Prime operates healthcare facilities across 14 states nationwide.

Frontline healthcare workers participating in the strike include emergency room technicians, licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, radiology technicians medical assistants, respiratory technicians, and many others.

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SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is a healthcare justice union of more than 100,000 healthcare workers, patients, and healthcare activists united to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality care for all Californians, provided by valued and respected healthcare workers. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.