VIDEO: Erica Shows Why It’s Too Soon to Reopen CA

Frontline caregivers and health experts agree: While we see the economic importance of reopening California, we can only do so when we have the PPE and testing we need to protect ourselves, our patients, and our communities from this virus.

This video from our fellow SEIU-UHW member Erica — who contracted COVID-19 after facing major PPE shortages at work — illustrates why it’s too soon to lift our state’s stay-at-home orders. We cannot go back to “business as usual” until we have the equipment and testing we need to stop the spread.

Click here to demand that Congress and the Trump administration get us the PPE we need so California can open safely and smartly.

 

SF CHRONICLE: “At perhaps the worst possible time, the Stanford hospital system is cutting pay and staff”

Check out this SF Chronicle article about Stanford Health Care’s decision to slash worker pay by 20% and furlough staff during this pandemic — and how we’re exposing the harm these attacks will cause us, our families, and our patients.

Since this article came out, hundreds of our brothers and sisters at Stanford have signed on to the open letter to Stanford administrators calling out their corporate greed: ”You’ve presented your furlough plan as a ‘shared sacrifice’ as if this extreme measure has the same impact on the CEO who makes over $3 million/year and a housekeeper or a nursing assistant who struggle to pay rent and feed our family in the Silicon Valley. This shows a stark lack of empathy and understanding for the reality of our lives” (excerpt from open letter).

Show your support for our fellow SEIU-UHW members — take a few seconds to tweet this message calling out Stanford Health Care’s unsafe, anti-worker cuts.

 

HOUSING

Looking to self-isolate between shifts to protect your loved ones? Tap into these resources:

All SEIU-UHW Members

The state has made it easier for us to document that we qualify for no-cost and low-cost hotel rooms during this pandemic.

Click here to learn more about this program.

Click here for the letter template that your hospital administrators can use to quickly verify that you qualify for hotel lodging due to potential exposure.

Additional housing resources are also available to us — click here to learn more.

 

CHILDCARE

Need care for your children when you’re at work fighting this pandemic? Check out these resources:

Kaiser Members

Click here to learn about the childcare benefits we negotiated with Kaiser — up to $300 per week to pay for our own caregiver (other than a spouse or domestic partner) or care outside of our homes.

All SEIU-UHW Members

SEIU-UHW has partnered with Carina Care, an online matching service that’s connecting us to unionized, licensed childcare providers near our homes. Carina Care has created a link — only available to SEIU-UHW members — to give us priority for childcare. Click here to get started.

Click here for our list of additional childcare resources across the state.

 

L.A. Dignity Members

Members at Dignity California and Dignity Northridge are eligible for childcare stipends of $100 per shift, free referrals to licensed providers, and free childcare at pop-up centers near your hospitals. Click your facility below to learn more:

Dignity California Hospital Medical Center

Dignity Northridge Hospital Medical Center

 

OTHER RESOURCES

Click here to learn about:

• Testing
• CEU Deadline Extensions
• Priority Shopping Access
• Financial Support

And lots more.