Healthcare Workers Picket USC Verdugo Hills Over Staffing, Service Cuts

Healthcare Workers Picket at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Amid Staffing Concerns

Glendale, Calif – On Wednesday, approximately 400 healthcare workers gathered at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital to hold an informational picket. This protest comes in response to ongoing issues of understaffing and service reductions, including the recent closure of the hospital’s birthing center and neo-natal intensive care unit.

Ricardo Ramirez De La Rosa, a nursing assistant at the hospital, expressed concern over the situation: “We’re facing a short-staffing crisis, and USC’s answer has been to make us treat more patients while cutting services. The demands being placed on us as caregivers are not sustainable, and the university’s stance in contract bargaining would only make things worse.”

The picket was held at the hospital located at 1812 Verdugo Blvd., Glendale, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with a rally featuring elected leaders scheduled for noon.

USC acquired Verdugo Hills Hospital in 2013 with promises of enhanced specialized care and an investment of $30 million. Nevertheless, staff shortages have intensified over time. Nursing assistants who previously handled 8 to 10 patients per shift are now responsible for up to 14. The closure of the birthing center in November followed the end of a 10-year commitment to keep it operational as part of the hospital’s acquisition terms (source).

Last December, nearly 400 healthcare professionals, including licensed vocational nurses, nursing assistants, medical technicians, and respiratory therapists, joined the National Union of Healthcare Workers. They have been advocating for adequate staffing, equitable pay, and benefits comparable to those at other Keck Medicine of USC facilities.

However, after eight months of negotiations, the university has not agreed to the union's proposals to improve staffing levels. The offered wage increases are reportedly insufficient to keep pace with inflation or retain current staff.

Imaging technician Noemi Galvan commented, “USC values its profits at Verdugo Hills more than it values its workers and our patients. We’re committed to providing the highest level of care to our community, and we’re going to keep putting pressure on USC to make sure we have the resources to do that and our patients can still get the services they need.”

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The National Union of Healthcare Workers is a member-led movement representing 19,000 healthcare workers in California and Hawai’i, including more than 4,700 Kaiser mental health professionals.