PORT ANGELES — Here is the full text of the letter that state Rep. Kevin Van De Wege sent to Olympic Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Eric Lewis and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Local 1199NW President Diane Sosne on Feb. 21:
Earlier this month, I publicly called for both the OMC commissioners and the hospital’s SEIU-represented health care workers to enter binding arbitration in order to resolve a protracted contract negotiation stalemate.
The impasse has had a divisive effect on our community and led to an atmosphere of mistrust between management and workers.
Unfortunately, to my great disappointment, the OMC commissioners opted to further escalate the situation by unilaterally approving a contract the workers did not agree to.
With talk now of possible legal action by the health care workers’ union, I am compelled to contact both parties directly to more strongly insist on binding arbitration as a means to resolve this rapidly-deteriorating situation.
Neither side has presented a valid reason as to why the binding arbitration process would not work in this case. It is a thorough, fair, and ultimately final process that would allow both sides to present their cases.
If, as OMC commissioners claim, the hospital’s current financial situation precludes the specific contract terms that health care workers are demanding, the arbitrator will rule in hospital’s favor.
I see no risk to OMC whatsoever that it would be required to pay for contracts it cannot afford.
Likewise, the union will be able to present its best case and would know, even if it does not prevail, that OMC commissioners acted in good faith to bring this dispute to an end.
Unilateral action is not the path to consensus. It does not foster a positive work environment or good employer-employee relations. It is not in the best interests of OMC’s patients or the community in general.
Because the represented workers are legally barred from striking, binding arbitration is the only safeguard they have to prevent management from doing whatever it wants to worker contracts.
This move by OMC commissioners sets a dangerous precedent and could divert some of the hospital’s already-limited dollars toward legal fees rather than health care.
Our health care professionals and their families need security, and right now all they have is doubt and uncertainty.
As lawmakers here in Olympia consider possible cuts in state funding to rural hospitals, my priority is protecting access to quality health care for the people of our community.
OMC commissioners and union negotiators must do their part towards this objective as well, by utilizing the binding arbitration process to come to a final resolution on the issue of worker contracts. Our community deserves nothing less.