Dialysis Caregivers to Launch Two-Day Strike at 21 Clinics Statewide

99% of workers voted in favor of an unfair labor practice strike as Fresenius Kidney Care and Satellite Healthcare refuse to bargain in good faith

Dialysis Caregivers to Launch Two-Day Strike at 21 Clinics Statewide

99% of workers voted in favor of an unfair labor practice strike as Fresenius Kidney Care and Satellite Healthcare refuse to bargain in good faith

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 21, 2023

CALIFORNIA — More than 500 dialysis caregivers will strike over unfair labor practices on September 25 and 26 at nearly two dozen Satellite Healthcare and Fresenius Kidney Care clinics across California.

The registered nurses, patient care technicians, social workers, hemodialysis technicians, and other caregivers who provide weekly dialysis treatments say management is putting staff and patients at risk to increase profits while violating their rights.

“We spend more time with our patients and coworkers than our own families, and they know we are chronically understaffed and underpaid,” said Manny Gonzalez, a Certified Hemodialysis Technician at Fresenius Kidney Care Juniper Fontana. “Fresenius is trying to keep us silent because they’re afraid of us standing together, and they know that our patients are supporting us in this fight.”

In response to caregivers’ attempts to improve safety, management from both corporations has violated United States labor law by threatening and intimidating caregivers, firing workers for trying to form a union and speaking out to improve patient care, making unilateral changes to working conditions without negotiating, and failing to bargain in good faith in contract negotiations.

Fresenius Medical Care made nearly $710 million in profits and paid its CEO approximately $5 million in compensation in 2022. Satellite Healthcare made $16.7 million in profits and paid its CEO $1.5 million in compensation in 2021. In contrast, many dialysis caregivers make as little as $17 an hour and routinely hold two or more jobs to make ends meet.

The strike applies to more than 500 dialysis caregivers at Fresenius and Satellite Healthcare clinics in various job classes including registered nurses, patient care technicians, licensed vocational nurses, certified clinical hemodialysis technicians, dietitians, social workers, clinical administrative coordinators, and receptionists.

This is just the beginning of strikes for dialysis workers in California. Even more Registered Nurses, technicians, and schedulers who work for Fresenius Medical Care and perform dialysis inpatient care at Sharp HealthCare hospitals, Scripps Health hospitals, and Tri-City Medical Center in the San Diego area, have planned an unfair labor practice strike for October 2 and 3. Dialysis caregivers are joined by nearly 100,000 other healthcare workers also voting to authorize strikes across healthcare corporations in California this fall.

ALL 21 LOCATIONS: 
Fresenius Kidney Care 
East County Home
570 N 2nd Street
El Cajon, CA 92021
Fresenius Kidney Care 
Balboa East Lakes Dialysis
2391 Boswell Rd
Chula Vista, CA 91914
Fresenius Kidney Care 
Chula Vista South
2252 Versus Street
San Diego, CA 92154
Fresenius Kidney Care 
Gateway East
720 Gateway Center Dr. Suite B
San Diego, CA 92102
Fresenius Kidney Care 
Camarillo
3801 Las Posas Rd Suite 103
Camarillo, CA 93010
Fresenius Kidney Care 
University Dialysis Center of Orange
1809 W Chapman Ave
Orange, CA 92868
Fresenius Kidney Care 
Juniper Fontana
10557 Juniper Ave Suite A
Fontana, CA 92337
Fresenius Kidney Care 
North Fontana
16423 Sierra Lakes Pkwy
Fontana, CA 92336
Fresenius Kidney Care 
Riverside
3470 La Sierra Ave Suite E
Riverside, CA 92503
Fresenius Kidney Care 
Indian Court Redlands
1449 W Redlands Blvd
Redlands, CA 92373
Fresenius Kidney Care 
Elk Grove Blvd.
8139 Elk Grove Blvd Suite 200
Elk Grove, CA 95758
Fresenius Kidney Care 
Brentwood Park
4510 Ohara Ave Suite B
Brentwood, CA 94513
Fresenius Kidney Care
Antioch
2386 Buchanan Rd
Antioch, CA 94509
Satellite Healthcare 
Folsom
210 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 100
Folsom, CA 95630
Satellite Healthcare 
Blossom Valley
1450 Kooser Road
San Jose, CA 95118
Satellite Healthcare 
Gilroy
8095 Camino Arroyo St., Suite 100 Gilroy, CA 95020
Satellite Healthcare 
Milpitas
1860 Milmont Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035
Satellite Healthcare 
Morgan Hill
16060 Caputo Drive, Suite 140
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Satellite Healthcare 
Rohnert Park
6265 Commerce Blvd., Suite 156
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Satellite Healthcare 
San Francisco
1700 California Street, Suite 260
San Francisco, CA 94109
Satellite Healthcare 
Vallejo
4300 Sonoma Boulevard, Suite 25 Vallejo, CA 94589

 

Media Contact:
Maria Leal
[email protected]

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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.