RELEASE: Washington hospitals on the brink of unprecedented crisis; health care workers and patients need immediate action from hospitals

FOR RELEASE: Sept. 13, 2021

WA hospitals on the brink of unprecedented crisis

Preexisting staff shortages have reached critical levels; nurses, health care workers and patients need immediate action from hospitals

SEATTLE -- The reality cannot be overstated: Washington hospitals are on the brink of a crisis, and without immediate and impactful action to retain and attract critical workers the state’s health care system could face an unprecedented collapse in capacity and care.

Hospitals across the state have warned of massive staffing shortfalls and collapses in capacity. Now the Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and UFCW 21 — who collectively represent 71,000 nurses and other healthcare workers — are urging hospitals to use the tools they have available to mitigate this crisis by retaining and adequately compensating current staff and filling under-staffed departments to ensure patient safety and access to care.

“Amid a fifth wave of COVID, spurred on by the Delta variant, and hospitals overflowing with patients who need critical care, our state health care workers continue to heroically perform their jobs a year-and-a-half into this pandemic,” said Julia Barcott, chair of the WSNA Cabinet and an ICU nurse at Astria Toppenish Hospital. “But nurses and other frontline workers are people, too. We’re losing overworked nurses to overwhelming burnout, the distress of working short-staffed, better-paying traveler nurse jobs and even for signing bonuses of up to $20,000 to move to a different hospital. We’re worried for our patients and the impact of the staffing crisis on the care they receive.”

This isn’t just a crisis for frontline workers, it’s also a public health crisis. Because hospitals were already understaffed well before the coronavirus pandemic hit, we are now seeing a new story every day about a regional hospital at maximum capacity. Without immediately addressing the shortage of staff and untenable workloads for frontline workers, there could be dire consequences to Washington’s health care infrastructure.

“Chronic understaffing is a disaster for patient care. Health care workers don’t want to see patients stuck in overflowing ICUs or being treated in ER hallways, or be forced to turn away ambulances at the door, but that’s the reality of health care right now,” said Faye Guenther, UFCW 21 president. “Hospitals need to immediately respond to this patient care crisis. That means focusing on meaningful, sustainable solutions that will recruit and retain qualified caregivers in every department.”

As many anti-vaccination activists falsely conflate the staffing crisis with looming vaccine deadlines for health care workers, it's important to understand that health care staffing shortages predate the coronavirus pandemic. As a result of years’ of staffing and management decisions, many hospitals already didn’t meet adequate staffing for average patient levels. COVID exacerbated this already strained infrastructure, and hospitals’ response to the pandemic has only worsened this preexisting crisis. 

“What’s really driving this crisis is that hospitals have spent the last two decades balancing their budgets on the backs of health care workers and patients,” said Jane Hopkins, RN, executive vice president of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW. “COVID has been a stress test on our health care system, and we are seeing the system fail that test due to management’s choice to understaff. Retention bonuses for frontline workers who have stayed on the job, adequate pay for extra hours worked, and aggressive hiring to staff at full capacity would go a long way right now.”

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About SEIU Healthcare 1199NW

SEIU Healthcare 1199NW is a union of nurses and healthcare workers with over 30,000 caregivers throughout hospitals, clinics, mental health, skilled home health and hospice programs in Washington state and Montana. SEIU Healthcare 1199NW’s mission is to advocate for quality care and good jobs for all.

About WSNA 

WSNA is the leading voice and advocate for nurses in Washington state, providing representation, education and resources that allow nurses to reach their full professional potential and focus on caring for patients. WSNA represents more than 19,000 registered nurses for collective bargaining who provide care in hospitals, clinics, schools and community and public health settings across the state. 

About UFCW 21 

UFCW 21 is working to build a powerful union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and our communities. We represent over 45,000 workers in retail, grocery stores, health care, and other industries in Washington state.

L&I's Updated COVID-19 Safety Requirements for Employers as Washington Reopens

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries released updated requirements for Washington employers on June 30, 2021, recognizing the new phase of reopening we are in after the COVID-19 pandemic. If your employer is not following the state requirements for COVID safety in your workplace, talk to your Shop Steward or Union Rep right away, or submit a safety report with your name, workplace, contact information, and description of the safety issue to safetyreport@ufcw21.org.

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Updated COVID-19 requirements for employers as Washington state reopens

Businesses in Washington state are able to open at full capacity and have fewer requirements to follow to protect employees from COVID-19.

Both OSHA and L&I continue to recognize COVID-19 as a workplace hazard for unvaccinated individuals. Employers have an obligation to provide a safe and healthy workplace and assess the level of hazard to determine if additional steps should be taken to protect workers who are not fully vaccinated. Updated rules and guidance detail the changes employers need to know.

Employers must:

• Ensure unvaccinated employees wear a mask while working indoors.

• Verify vaccination status before lifting employee mask requirements, and be able to show the process used for verification.

• Keep employees with possible or confirmed cases of COVID-19 from working around others.

• Provide handwashing facilities and supplies.

• Train employees to recognize and respond to workplace hazards, including COVID-19.

• Assess recognized hazards, including COVID-19, as part of the ongoing requirement to provide a safe and healthful workplace and, where appropriate, take additional steps to protect unvaccinated employees.

• Notify employees in writing within one business day if someone they had close contact with tests positive for COVID-19 (without disclosing the person’s identity).

• Report COVID-19 outbreaks of 10 or more employees at workplaces or worksites with more than 50 employees to L&I within 24 hours.

Masks and face coverings

• Employers must provide cloth face coverings or a more protective mask to employees, free of charge, when use of a mask is required.

• Employers may still require or encourage mask use, regardless of employee vaccination status.

• Employees have the right to wear a mask or other protective equipment, regardless of their vaccination status, as long as it doesn’t create safety issues.

Industries where masks are still required for all workers  

• Health care (long-term care, doctor’s offices, hospitals)

• Public transportation (aircraft, trains, buses, road vehicles)

• K-12 schools, childcare facilities and day camps in locations where children are or are expected to be present

• Correctional facilities

• Homeless shelters

Verifying worker vaccination status

Employers must be able to show the process used to verify employee vaccination status. They do not need to keep an actual copy of the employee’s vaccination records.

Acceptable types of verification include:

• Vaccine card or photo of vaccine card.

• Documentation from a health care provider.

• State immunization information system record.

• A hard copy or electronically signed self-attestation from the employee.

Resources

L&I’s COVID-19 guidance includes resources from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Department of Health (DOH) and U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: www.Lni.wa.gov/CovidSafety.

DOH Secretary of Health Order: www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/Secretary_of_Health_Order_20-03_Statewide_Face_Coverings.pdf

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Wildfire Information for Workers

People across the West Coast are being forced to flee their homes due to encroaching wildfires. We have begun receiving requests from UFCW locals and other unions for any help and support we can offer, and we know UFCW 21 members may need support like this as well. Evacuating safely is a life or death issue. While respecting the risks of traveling and congregating during the COVID pandemic, we would like to offer whatever support or emergency shelter we can to our union family and any emergency evacuees. Mutual aid is a part of standing together in solidarity.

If you would be willing to host a person or family evacuating a wildfire area, whether in your home or outdoor area (parking space for an RV, space in your yard for a pet or farm animal), please fill out the form below to offer up your space.

If you are expecting to be evacuated and looking for a place to stay, whether you need a couch to sleep on, a place to park an RV, or you are evacuating pets and/or farm animals, fill out the short form below and we will be in touch with you if we can match you with someone offering shelter.

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OTHER SMOKE AND FIRE INFORMATION

If your workplace is closed due to smoke or wildfire:

• Please contact your Union Rep or the Rep of the Day line so they know about the situation and can help problem-solve.

• If appropriate, your employer should allow you to pick up hours at another work location that is safe. If management refuses to make this option available to you, contact your Union Rep for assistance with negotiating a good arrangement.

SMOKE:

• Washington State Air Quality Map

• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency wildfire smoke information

• Q&A on Wildfire Smoke from the WA Dept. of Health

• How to Keep Indoor Air Clean on Smoky Days from King County Public Health Dept.

WILDFIRE:

• Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildfire Information Page

From the DNR:

“Local emergency management offices, such as sheriff departments or local fire districts, order and communicate evacuations when needed and other emergency activities outside of the work to combat wildfire. If you find yourself in a wildfire emergency, always follow the directions of public safety personnel. In an evacuation, use the "P's of Preparedness" to focus your efforts.”

• How to Prepare for a Wildfire from Ready.gov, including the “5 Ps” to consider when preparing to evacuate:

• PEOPLE: People and, if safely possible, pets and other animals/ livestock

• PERSONAL NEEDS: Personal needs—such as clothes, food, water, first aid kit, cash, phones, and chargers— and items for people with disabilities and others with access and/or functional needs, such as older adults, children, and those with Limited English Proficiency

• PRICELESS ITEMS: Priceless items, including pictures, irreplaceable mementos, and other valuables

• PRESCRIPTIONS: Prescriptions, with dosages; medicines; medical equipment; batteries or power cords; eyeglasses; and hearing aids

• PAPERS: Papers, including important documents (hard copies and/or electronic copies saved on external hard drives or portable thumb drives)

Read Washington State’s New Reopening Guidelines and Learn the Requirements for Employers and How to Enforce Them at Your Workplace

Washington State has now released guidelines and requirements for a county-by-county reopening of our state. Each county in the state is expected to move through these phases as they meet the requirements for moving to the next phase, based on an assessment of COVID-19 disease activity, health care system readiness, testing capacity, the ability to investigate and trace cases, and the ability to protect high-risk people. 

Read the state’s guidelines and the four phases of reopening here 

Importantly, there are requirements for employers during all four phases designed to keep people safe at work. No matter what phase your county is in, your employer is required to: 

• Maintain six-foot physical distancing requirements for employees and patrons 

• Adopt other prevention measures such as barriers to block sneezes and coughs when physical distancing is not possible for a particular job task 

• Provide you with and require you to wear cloth facial coverings (unless your exposure dictates an even higher level of protection, or you work alone without interacting with people, or you are or must communicate with someone deaf or hard of hearing who relies on visual language cues) – This requirement begins on June 8 

• Allow you to wear your own facial coverings at work as long as it meets the minimum requirements 

• Identify and provide you with adequate personal protective equipment in accordance with Labor & Industries requirements and specific COVID-19 standards 

• Limit close interactions with patrons while providing services 

• Provide adequate sanitation and personal hygiene for workers, vendors, and patrons 

• Ensure you have access to hand washing facilities so you can wash your hands frequently with soap and running water 

• Ensure frequent cleaning and disinfection of the business, particularly of high-touch surfaces 

• Follow Governor Inslee’s proclamation protecting high-risk workers – Find a link to that proclamation here (Note: This proclamation is set to expire on June 12, but we expect it will be extended by the governor) 

• Educate workers about COVID-19 in a language you best understand 

• Have a plan for dealing with workers who are sick, including requiring COVID-19 positive employees to stay home and potentially restricting employees who were directly exposed to that employee 

• Follow CDC cleaning guidelines to deep clean after reports of an employee with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 illness – this may involve the closure of a business until it can be properly disinfected 

• Implement other practices appropriate for specific types of businesses on a case-by-case basis, as directed by federal, state and local public health and workplace safety officials, such as screening of employees for illness and exposures upon work entry, requiring non-cash transactions, etc. 

• Implement any health and safety requirements developed specifically for your industry, comply with COVID-19 worksite-specific safety practices, and keep a safe and healthy facility in accordance with state and federal law 

If your employer does not follow all of these regulations all the time, you can report them for not keeping you, your coworkers, and your community safe. You can file a safety report with the union by emailing your name, work location, and safety issue to safetyreport@ufcw21.org. You can also contact the state’s Department of Safety and Health call center at 1-800-423-7233 or via e-mail to adag235@lni.wa.gov, and you can report a lack of social distancing via online form here. 

Our state also reminds everyone that it is against the law for any employer to take any adverse action such as firing, demotion, or otherwise retaliate against a worker they suspect of exercising safety and health rights such as raising safety and health concerns to their employer, participating in union activities concerning safety and health matters, filing a safety and health complaint or participating in a DOSH investigation. Workers have 30 days to file a complaint with L&I DOSH and/or with Federal OSHA.  

Know Your Rights: WA State's new Paid Sick & Safe time off and a rise in the Minimum Wage

Paid Sick & Safe Days

Beginning January 1, 2018 you have the right to paid time off, free from discipline, if you or a member of your family is sick or if you are the victim of domestic violence. 

• You can take paid leave if you are ill for a doctor’s appointment OR to care for a sick child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, parent-in-law, or grandparent. You can also take paid leave to cope with the consequences of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking. 
• You will earn a minimum of 1 hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked, or more if your contract gives more sick time. 
• You cannot be penalized in any way by your employer for missing work for any reason covered by the law. This includes absence control polices such as occurrence systems that count an absence toward discipline.
• You have access to your paid leave any day that you miss work for a covered reason, even on the first day. 
• You are eligible to use paid sick leave after 90 days of employment, or sooner if your contract allows it. 
• Each year you can carry over up to 40 hours of paid sick leave to your bank the following year.
• The current time in your contractual sick leave bank (including PTO time) can be used to satisfy the requirements of the law, but that time must meet all the other requirements of the law.
• You must notify your employer prior to missing a shift as soon as is reasonable under the circumstances. 

If you have any questions about your Paid Sick and Safe Leave rights, speak to a steward or call your Union Representative at 1-800-732-1188.

Minimum Wage

UFCW members stood up to win better wages in our contracts and on the ballot.

As of January 1, 2018:

The new statewide minimum wage will be $11.50
The new Seattle minimum wage for large employers will be $15

Your contract may have wage escalators that mean you automatically get a raise when the minimum wage goes up. 

Check your contract or talk to your shop steward for details or call your Union Representative at 1-800-732-1188.
 

UFCW 21 Endorsements

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