Tides of Change
—guest post by Kevin Jones, OHSU radiologic technologist—
I have been a radiologic technologist at OHSU for three years at OHSU and prior to this a student for two years. I have been contributing to our union since being employed at OHSU and am appreciative of the representation provided to our team. However, I feel negotiations for next contract will go sour unless hospital management addresses the massive health-care crisis at hand.
I have been following bargaining closely and am deeply concerned with OHSU’s extreme low-ball offer. Starting offwith a 6% increase in salaries over the next three years is not only inferior, it is an insult. For me 25% — our union’s offer — should be the minimum.
Travelers have been OHSU’s go-to solution for its staffing shortages. Their salaries are significantly more than what we get paid as permanent employees — we aren’t getting much incentive pay or retention bonuses, and we feel undercut and overworked. There must be something for those of us who hold loyalty for, dedication to and pride in OHSU. Critical-need incentive (also known as additional-need incentive) pay is critical.
OHSU should pay a consequence for excessive mandatory overtime. Forced overtime should not be the norm, and relying on it should be strongly disincentivized so that OHSU reconsiders this practice and instead works to hire people to fill vacancies so there isn’t so much burden on the existing staff. I know this is being battled over at the bargaining table. Fight on!
The current level of job satisfaction today at OHSU is bitterly low, across all employee groups. Obviously that is partly due to the global pandemic, but even before COVID hit, hospital administration did not foster a sustainable work climate that made employees want to stay at OHSU. Our managers pushback, saying that this is an issue everywhere. This is not acceptable — OHSU should be a pillar of Oregon’s health-care employers, not just the norm!
I am also concerned with patient safety and job safety in the height of OHSU’s staffing shortages. For example, certain X-rays are meant to be done with a nurse present. Recently, due to understaffing, I have been put in the position to do these X-rays without any support. No one is available — no manager, no nurse. It seems as though protocols are being neglected and this is concerning — is this the new normal? Is understaffing the new standard practice at OHSU? Managers see only what they want to see, and either do not hear us or cannot comprehend the problem.
We have already lost many qualified techs just since March 2022: Tim, Wes, Elaine, Maria, Jeff, Trevor, Patrick, Megan, Paul, Mary, Aaron and Jeff, with more likely to follow. Depending on our next contract, I may also seek employment elsewhere. Providence, for example, has about a dozen current job listings offering a sign-on bonus of $8,000 and a competitive salary; they also have free parking and no forced overtime.
Hospitals will not pay more to their loyal workers, but will pay traveler techs $3,000 to $4,000 per week — much much more than regular employees’ weekly salaries. Travelers are paid a premium, yet many do not have the same required responsibilities as permanent employees and many do not haveas much experience! This lack of experience is frightening and also becomes a burden to other staff members who have to fill the gaps. With trauma patients, surgical procedures and fluoroscopy exams, this lack of experience puts still more pressure on undervalued, loyal and hard-working technologists.
In summary, OHSU’s chronic staffing shortages are having a grave impact on all of our lives and on our families, and are destroying our quality of life. No work-life balance for us, and OHSU currently has no reason to want to change. When I have asked for additional compensation, increased CNI/ANI pay or temporary shift changes; have made suggestions for recruiting new talent; etc., it has fallen on deaf ears. Every suggestion has been shot down with a brisk no, a delayed response or “it needs union approval.” Well, our union has made proposals asking for many of the things that would improve the work climate at OHSU.
I want OHSU to provide:
Robust additional-need incentive pay
Better compensation for mandatory overtime
Incentives to recruit and retain employees
Safe staffing and better safety protocols
Competitive compensation across disciplines
Pay increases that account for inflation