Nurses, physician's assistants, dental assistants and others who provide medical care at Alameda County's two jails have been locked out by their employer. This comes after a one day strike held to protest six months of stalled contract negotiations and unfair labor practices.
The workers, members of the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, approved the one-day strike last month after working more than two months without a contract and making minimal headway on a new one with Tennessee-based Prison Health Services. As punishment, the company has now locked out those workers.
Prison Health Services is a Tennessee-based for-profit corporation that had earnings of more than half a billion dollars in 2009. They hold a $77 million, 3-year contract with Alameda County to provide medical services at the two County facilities.
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Prison Health Services also have a 24 hour ethics and compliance issues hotline. 1-800-218-9114. feel free to let them know locking out health workers seems pretty unethical, especially at a jail, where the patients have no other options.
this is another example of how privatization of jails and prisons not only hurts inmates, but also workers and everyone else involved.
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