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Providence Health & Services Awarded Grinch of the Year
Providence “honored” for placing profits ahead of workers and patients
Portland, Dec. 20, 2006 - - Portland Jobs for Justice delivered it’s annual Grinch of the Year “award” today to Providence Health & Services.
The “award” was delivered to the office of Providence Health & Services Operations Manager Lisa Vance at a lunch time event that featured the Grinch, Santa and a helper elf in full costume as well as community leaders and Providence workers.
Every December at their annual holiday fundraising dinner, Portland Jobs with Justice members select a local company “Grinch of the Year” for their anti-worker actions and policies. Ballots are allocated based on how much attendees contribute to the fundraiser. This year five local companies were nominated and Providence won with a resounding 60% of the vote.
“Providence Health & Services, the richest health care corporation on the West Coast, won this award because of their policies that place profits in front of workers and patients,” said Margaret Butler, Director of Portland Jobs with Justice.
Nearly 5,000 non-RN employees at Providence Health & Services hospitals are trying to unite with Service Employees International Union Local 49, in order to better advocate for themselves and their patients. Earlier this year, the Workers’ Rights Board Fair Election Oversight Commission found that Providence workers in Oregon are unable to access fair union elections given the anti-union climate at Providence hospitals. The commission, which included Secretary of State Bill Bradbury and faith and community leaders, passed a resolution in favor of establishing a fair union election process, which Providence has refused to do.
“This award should serve notice to Providence Health & Services that fair union elections are an issue that the entire community cares about,” said Butler.
An additional issue cited for singling Providence out for the award was a policy which came to light this fall where housekeepers at Providence Portland Medical Center have been refused the option of using disposable nitrile gloves to clean patient areas. Instead, they are required to reuse the same gloves until they wear out.
“Voters were pretty appalled to hear that housekeepers at Providence Health and Services are required to use the same pair of gloves for toilets and patient care areas for months at a team” said Butler. “Even the Grinch isn’t that stingy!”
