Last year, we, the employees of Summit Pacific Medical Center, took the unprecedented step of forming a hospital-wide union. It was a collective effort. Nearly 200 employees of every job class and department joined together to advocate for ourselves, our patients and our community.

We had hoped that by forming a union we could more effectively communicate our needs to management. However, after months and months of bargaining, important issues related to safety and security of staff, patients and visitors have yet to be resolved.

We love the work that we do. We are proud to provide care and service to members of this community. Together, the three of us have worked for almost 50 combined years at Summit Pacific and we hope to work many more. Yet we are extremely troubled by what we have experienced recently at the hospital.

We have seen staff assaulted by patients with severe mental health issues — patients who, without proper care, pose risks to other patients and visitors, as well. We have seen staff leave because of poor working conditions, creating staff shortages that have made a difficult situation worse. We have been told that we must walk down dark paths to employee parking with no hospital-provided security — a potential danger to our physical safety that we experience every day before and after work. When we have brought our concerns to management about these issues, either directly or through the union bargaining process, we have been ignored, stonewalled, or treated with callous disrespect. It is heartbreaking that we the staff at Summit Pacific have not been given the same care from management that we strive to provide to our patients each and every day.

Summit is not just a hospital. It is an important resource for our community that belongs to its staff, patients, and the families of those we serve. We call on all community members to let Summit know that you support our efforts to secure a safe and healthy hospital — for everyone.

Curtis Peek (22 years as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Room in the at Summit Pacific

Medical Center).

Barbara Ford (24 years as a Certified Nursing Assistant in the Emergency Room at Summit

Pacific Medical Center).

Jessee Bednarik (Five years as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Room at Summit Pacific

Medical Center).