A hospital coalition is circulating a petition to get the 41,000 signatures needed for force a referendum on the issue.
Los Angeles County hospitals and other providers are working to repeal the recently enacted ordinance mandating $25 per hour minimum wage for some healthcare workers.
The No Unequal Pay coalition, sponsored by the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, says the ordinance – which took effect this month -- exempts workers at state and county healthcare facilities and unfairly penalizes private hospitals and providers.
“These measures mandate higher wages for workers at private health care facilities but provide zero increases for workers at public hospitals and smaller clinics that primarily serve uninsured and disadvantaged communities,” the coalition’s website says. “This will lead to workforce shortages at smaller clinics and public health care facilities, jeopardizing access and quality of care for Southern California’s most disadvantaged and already underserved communities.”
The coalition is circulating a petition to get the 41,000 signatures needed for force a referendum on the issue.
The SEIU-UHW had sought to put the wage mandate on the Nov. 8 ballot, and had already collected more than 145,000 signatures when the Los Angeles City County preempted that and adopted the measure last month.
The ordinance has the support of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said during a signing ceremony on July 8 that “our healthcare heroes deserve fair compensation for their critical work, countless sacrifices and incredible service to our city and its people.”
However, the Los Angeles Times reports that Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center in Echo Park is considering scaling back services — possibly by as much as 20% — to account for increased costs, and that the nonprofit Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills anticipates a $1.5-million yearly increase in labor costs and it has yet to identify how to cover it.
“These measures mandate higher wages for workers at private health care facilities but provide zero increases for workers at public hospitals and smaller clinics that primarily serve uninsured and disadvantaged communities.”
No Unequal Pay
John Commins is the news editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The No Unequal Pay coalition, sponsored by the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, says the ordinance – which took effect this month -- exempts workers at state and county healthcare facilities and unfairly penalizes private hospitals and providers.
The SEIU-UHW had sought to put the wage mandate on the Nov. 8 ballot, and had already collected more than 145,000 signatures when the Los Angeles City County preempted that and adopted the measure last month.
The ordinance has the support of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said during a signing ceremony on July 8 that “our healthcare heroes deserve fair compensation for their critical work, countless sacrifices and incredible service to our city and its people.”