Leading up to this Labor Day picket
lines in Janesville.
That's where more than 130
healthcare workers are on strike
in a contract dispute with
Mercy Health.
The workers are members of UAW
Local 95.
Local 95 President Judy McRoberts
joins us now.
And thanks very much for being here,
Judy.
No, thank you.
So this strike started July 2
and is now coming into month
three. Why are your members
on strike?
Well, one of their main concerns is
safety and the
security of their building and
themselves and the patients.
We have an urgent care in this
building and it's open until the
evening and we've
had people out in the parking lot
panhandling and asking for rides
and so on and
it is scary for the women who
are leaving this facility at
night. We've also had,
one of our nurses come in for an
urgent care shift and
went into the break room and here's
somebody was staying in
the breakroom.
And so that there was no security in
the building. And that's not only
unsafe for employees, that's
unsafe for our patients.
And so what is...
If you ask for.
We've asked to invest for at least
security cameras or security
cameras, security officers
to be in the building in the morning
and at least in
the evening to make sure the
building is secure and
people can get out safely.
Why is it proving so hard
to settle with
Mercy Health over that issue?
I have no idea, but one
thing I do want to point out is the
first day that we had our picket
set up, our peaceful picket
line has had no problems
whatsoever.
They've had security out there for
their people coming in the building
and worrying about their building
being vandalized,
which is pretty sad.
Are there issues around pay
and benefits as well, or is it most
specifically about safety?
No, no, we, they did ask
for a wage increase,
but the wage increase
that they asked for has barely cost
the cost of everything that's gone
up in our country, everybody sees
that, but also
they raised their premiums
for their MercyCare
health insurance, which is their
insurance, Mercy's insurance,
and they raised the rates,
and with the
wage increased, it barely
covers.
How long could
this strike last?
It could last as long as
it needs to.
I mean, the UAW is
backing these people.
We're not asking for
anything that's unreasonable, we're
just asking for a fair agreement.
And the last negotiations
we had, they actually
offered us less than they offered in
the initial negotiations,
which is a slap in the face.
A lot of people might be
wondering...
It looks like a union bus detected
to me.
A lot of people might be wondering,
why are health
care workers represented by
the United Auto Workers?
Well, what happened was they
organized, I don't know why they
organized. We all, this is an
amalgamated union.
We have credit unions.
We have
a factory in Whitewater
that makes meat
slicers.
So UAW goes in a lot of different
ways.
There's a lot people in nursing
and credit unions and
all over that are different.
Being amalgamed, you could do
that.
Are the issues that you're
pressing common concerns
among health care workers generally?
I believe so.
I mean, they've had, I've seen
lately in the paper, and I don't
know if it's,
if this is the coming trend, I
mean my gosh, the way the world has
come to, you have to worry about
everything all the time with guns
and so on, but they've
had, they had several issues at the
hospitals that people have
been unruly. I mean, what happens
if you're in an urgent care at night
and somebody becomes unruley?
I mean you have nobody there, you
know, Most of those people are
not equipped to fight off someone
who's violent.
So I think it's a coming thing that
security should be in
medical facilities everywhere.
What will happen to patient care
if this strike stretches on?
I don't know, patient care right
now, we've had a lot of complaints
from a lot of people that
had appointments.
Like we tell people, they ask,
well they don't want to cross the
picket line.
If you need to be seen,
you need to go.
You know, you take care of yourself
first. I mean, we don't
promote them to cross the line
and go there.
But people who have gone there have
felt that their care that they're
getting is not what
it used to be.
They have tables set
up so that they do makeshift
receptionists are taking
their
personal records
and talking and there's somebody
right there.
You have no privacy.
What about for your striking
members, how are they faring
as the weeks go on?
Some are more worried
than others.
You know, some have spouses
that have jobs.
They are getting strike pay.
But, you know, you have the singles
and the single mothers and
maybe single fathers.
I'm not sure about that.
But, that issue is
that they are
concerned, but they're not
willing to give up the fight.
We're a 95% union
facility.
And, um, like I said, we're
just looking for a fair agreement.
We're not asking for anything
unbelievable.
I mean, we, we
are talking about a CEO in
a non-profit that is making
13 million dollars a year.
And has 12 vice presidents
that are making 450,000 dollars
a year plus their perks.
That's, that's, that's
horrible when you don't want to pay
these people a
decent living rate, living
wage.
Judy McRoberts, president of Local
95.
Thanks very much for joining us.
Okay, thank you.
When asked for comment, Mercy Health
provided their original statement
released in late June from
Vice President Jenny Hallett,
saying, quote, throughout our
negotiations with the union, we have
always treated our 137
partners at Mercy Health
East in a fair and equitable
manner, consistent with our
other 8,000-plus employee
partners.
Unfortunately, the union has
rejected our offer.
Well, thank you.
Thank you, Judy.
I really appreciate you joining us,
and we will...
Thank you very much as well.
We will keep up on what is going
on with your
work action.
Thank you.
Okay, thank you very much.
I'll get those to you.
I hope it turns out well.
Okay, and you as well.
Okay, have a good weekend.
Okay, okay, bye.
On camera or not.
When asked for comment, Mercy
Health provided their original
statement released in late June from
Vice President Jenny Hallett,
saying, quote, throughout our
negotiations with the union,
we have always treated our 137
partners at Mercy Health
East in a fair and equitable
manner, consistent with our
other 8,000-plus employee
partners.
Unfortunately, the union has
rejected our offer.