SPOKANE, Wash. — Providence put up fencing around the Sacred Heart Medical Center, just a few days before hundreds of workers are scheduled to strike.
Shane Sullivan, a Providence echocardiogram technician, saw crews putting up fencing around Sacred Heart just before his shift at the hospital.
Sullivan worked at Sacred Heart for more than 30 years and is part of the bargaining team for the United Food and Commercial Workers. The union consists of about 500 technical workers at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Sullivan says workers are striking for better pay and contracts.
"It's hard to recruit new staff here. And it's hard to retain the staff that we have, specifically because pay scales have not kept up with our competitors." Sullivan said. "It's very frustrating. It just serves to embolden people and make them more angry. It comes off as disrespect,"
The latest union technician contract with Providence expired last year, with contract negotiations ongoing since November. When both sides couldn't agree, the union voted to strike on April 12.
"In all the time, I've worked at Sacred Heart, this has never happened," Sullivan said.
Providence said they negotiated with the union right up to the strike vote, in a press conference on Wednesday.
"The proposal we put forth is a market competitive proposal that will allow us to continue to recruit and retain the staff that we need," Providence Chief Executive Susan Stacey said.
Sullivan said Providence's fencing around Sacred Heart further angered staff ahead of the strike.
"We're all about safety for our staff and community," Sullivan said. "Then you block public sidewalks. All it's all it's really done is further anger the staff."
The fencing is open at certain points with signs that say 'caregivers walkway entrance.'
Providence wrote about the fencing in a statement to KREM 2.
Fencing on the Sacred Heart Medical Center campus, which is permitted through the city of Spokane, is ADA-compliant.
Providence said it's working with an agency to bring in temporary workers to provide additional help for the ongoing strike. They sent out a statement earlier in April.
"I look forward to welcoming them back to provide the safe quality care they do every day," Stacey said.
Providence will remain open and all services will be available at the hospital.
The strike starts at 2 p.m. on Monday. It is set to run through the end of this month. Once it ends Providence said they intend to resume negotiations with the union.
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