Seton nurses call for better working conditions

The unresolved issues led to the Aug. 16 Daly City Council special meeting to get the sides together to build communication, according to San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa.

“The importance of last night was to ensure both parties get to the table and are able to negotiate,” Canepa said.

California Nurses Association Labor Representative Julie Tran said over 100 nurses have left in the last few years due to staff turnover. Nurses are demanding management address retention, overburdened staff and lack of supplies, with labor discussions stalling for the past eight months.

Canepa urged AHMC and nurses to continue talks to avoid frustration and ensure cooler heads prevail, noting everyone wanted to provide the best care possible for northern San Mateo County residents. Canapa cited the recent labor disagreements between nurses and management at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, who reached a breakthrough following extensive talks, calling for reengagement for the hospital’s future.

“The issue is the lack of communication, Canepa said. “That is absolutely critical.”

Following the meeting, Tran said, Vartanian plans to talk with CNA in the next week, calling it a good sign for progress.

“We’ve definitely seen movement since last night,” Tran said.

Canapa and labor leaders have called for AHMC to be more open about its financial revenue and expenditures, especially with the county scheduled to provide around $10 million in funding for seismic upgrades to Seton Medical Center. AHMC representatives discussed its finances at the special meeting to better understand current issues. Canepa said the first step is seeing where discussions go and hopefully getting AHMC representatives to open the books for more financial information.

Seton has fallen into financial issues over the last few years, falling into bankruptcy in 2020. AHMC Healthcare purchased Seton in July 2020 from Verity Health of California. AHMC also bought Seton Coastside in Moss Beach, with the purchase of both medical sites costing around $40 million. Seton opened in 1893 as Mary’s Help Hospital and has become Daly City’s largest employer, serving 28,000 emergency room patients a year. The hospital serves 1.5 million residents in San Mateo and San Francisco counties with various medical, surgical and emergency services. Some 85% of the patients it sees yearly are on Medicare or Medi-Cal. In March, AHMC permanently closed the skilled nursing facility on the Daly City site.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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