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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — After having voted to strike earlier this month, frontline employees at eight Sutter Health facilities — including Sutter Lakeside Hospital — have reached a tentative agreement with management in contract negotiations.
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, or SEIU-UHW, the union representing the workers involved in negotiations, reported earlier this month that its members had approved a strike with a 96% vote in support, although a date wasn’t set.
At that point, Sutter Health maintained that it had been bargaining with SEIU–UHW since July and remained “committed to reaching a fair and sustainable agreement.”
That strike vote followed informational pickets over the summer, including one on Aug. 12 in Lakeport.
On Saturday, however, the situation appeared to reach a resolution when the union and Sutter Health reached a tentative contract agreement.
The agreement averts a strike for unionized Sutter Health workers at eight Sutter Health facilities in Lakeport, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Roseville, Berkeley, Vallejo, Antioch, Castro Valley and San Francisco.
Sutter Health said the number of workers involved is more than 4,400 while the union gave the number as being 4,700.
The workers SEIU-UHW represents across the Sutter Health system include nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, licensed vocational nurses, environmental services, food services, x-ray technicians and respiratory therapists.
The union said the new agreement addresses “critical issues around staffing and working conditions by ensuring fair pay and benefits for frontline healthcare workers, allowing them to continue serving patients without disruption.”
“This tentative agreement shows that when we stand united, we can win improvements that protect both healthcare workers and our patients,” said Dinora Garcia, a dietary clerk from Sutter Lakeside. “Reaching this agreement wasn’t easy but we stood together to advocate for worker and patient safety, improved staffing levels, and fair wages and benefits that reflect the vital work we do every day.”
“The parties have negotiated in good faith since July for an agreement that recognizes and rewards employees while supporting our ability to deliver safe, high-quality care,” Sutter Health said in its statement on the negotiations. “We believe the tentative agreements meet those goals.”
The union said the tentative contract agreement needs to be voted on and approved by the members before it is final. The ratification vote will be scheduled for later this month.
“If approved, the agreement will provide 14 percent across-the-board raises for workers. The agreement also protects healthcare and retirement benefits for these frontline healthcare workers,” SEIU-UHW reported.
“We encourage all eligible employees to participate in the vote and support this fair contract offer,” Sutter Health said.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said a teenager wanted in connection for a stabbing last week has been taken into custody.
On Friday, deputies located and arrested 14-year-old Nova Fabisch, according to sheriff’s office spokesperson Lauren Berlinn.
Berlinn said deputies found Fabisch in Lakeport and arrested her on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, battery causing serious bodily injury and attempted murder.
Last Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies responded to Sutter Lakeside Hospital after receiving reports of a female juvenile who had sustained multiple stab wounds, as Lake County News previously reported.
During an interview at the hospital with the victim and her parents, the deputies were told that the suspect — identified as Fabisch — had stabbed her multiple times with a pocket knife.
The victim was expected to make a full recovery, according to the sheriff’s office.
Due to the seriousness of the charges and Fabisch’s identification as the suspect, the sheriff’s office chose to release her name.
After her arrest on Friday, Fabisch was transported to and transferred into the custody of the Lake County Probation Office, Berlinn said.
So far, there does not appear to be any plans to charge Fabisch as an adult.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Rich Watson told Lake County News that Fabisch is being handled as a juvenile case.
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