Alameda Health System continues to push ahead with layoffs, despite making zero effort at the ad-hoc committee to identify additional revenue or other cost-saving measures. Even worse, they are now discussing additional layoffs in the near future while not being transparent about this with the unions involved or the Board of Supervisors.

“AHS keeps trying to force concessions instead of chopping from the top,” said SEIU 1021 AHS Chapter Vice President Veronica Palacios.  

Wednesday, June 3, SEIU 1021 members rallied at Highland Hospital and packed the Board of Trustees meeting to demand that AHS stop the layoffs and conduct an independent audit of their spending and revenue collection.

Many members got up to share powerful examples of what’s at stake. 

“I’m just really upset that we’re still here with no progress. Money and profits are a byproduct of people. Once you stop serving the people, you lose your money, you lose your product. Fostering unemployment in the community doesn’t make financial sense in the future,” said Iman Khalil, SEIU 1021 member and respiratory therapist. 

SEIU 1021 member and speech pathologist Christian Thies said, ”Cutting labor doesn’t save money in the long run with increased overtime and burn out… reducing our skilled workforce is not the answer.”

“Many of our clients call Fairmont their home. It’s where they find stability, but they need to know they have somewhere to come home to,” said Drew Scott, an SEIU 1021 member and rehabilitation counselor. 

It doesn’t end here. Members will continue to fight the good fight to make AHS understand that maintaining staffing is critical to saving lives. And statewide, CEOs, doctors, nurses, and workers from all six Bay Area public hospital systems are urging state leaders to dedicate $500 million in the state budget to public hospital systems as an initial step to confront a preventable health care crisis made worse by federal healthcare cuts imposed by H.R. 1, the Big Ugly Bill, and another $800 million in state cuts have been proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Without state support, public hospital systems will be forced to cut life-saving services that restrict healthcare access for their 3.7 million patients, resulting in more preventable illness, facility closures driving longer patient wait times and commutes for care, and higher costs that we all pay.