Dialysis Caregivers at Fresenius and Satellite: Unfair Labor Practice Strike at clinics in US

99% of workers voted in favor of an unfair labor practice strike as Fresenius Kidney Care and Satellite Healthcare refused to bargain in good faith. With information from SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW)

More than 500 dialysis caregivers will strike over unfair labor practices on September 25 and 26 at nearly two dozen Satellite Healthcare and Fresenius Kidney Care clinics across California.

The registered nurses, patient care technicians, social workers, hemodialysis technicians, and other caregivers who provide weekly dialysis treatments say management is putting staff and patients at risk to increase profits while violating their rights.

“We spend more time with our patients and coworkers than our own families, and they know we are chronically understaffed and underpaid,” said Manny Gonzalez, a Certified Hemodialysis Technician at Fresenius Kidney Care Juniper Fontana. “Fresenius is trying to keep us silent because they’re afraid of us standing together, and they know that our patients are supporting us in this fight.”

In response to caregivers’ attempts to improve safety, management from both corporations has violated United States labor law by threatening and intimidating caregivers, firing workers for trying to form a union and speaking out to improve patient care, making unilateral changes to working conditions without negotiating, and failing to bargain in good faith in contract negotiations.

Fresenius Medical Care made nearly $710 million in profits and paid its CEO approximately $5 million in compensation in 2022. Satellite Healthcare made $16.7 million in profits and paid its CEO $1.5 million in compensation in 2021. In contrast, many dialysis caregivers make as little as $17 an hour and routinely hold two or more jobs to make ends meet.

The strike applies to more than 500 dialysis caregivers at Fresenius and Satellite Healthcare clinics in various job classes including registered nurses, patient care technicians, licensed vocational nurses, certified clinical hemodialysis technicians, dietitians, social workers, clinical administrative coordinators, and receptionists.

This is just the beginning of strikes for dialysis workers in California. Even more Registered Nurses, technicians, and schedulers who work for Fresenius Medical Care and perform dialysis inpatient care at Sharp HealthCare hospitals, Scripps Health hospitals, and Tri-City Medical Center in the San Diego area, have planned an unfair labor practice strike for October 2 and 3. Dialysis caregivers are joined by nearly 100,000 other healthcare workers also voting to authorize strikes across healthcare corporations in California this fall.

ALL 21 LOCATIONS: 

Fresenius Kidney Care 
East County Home

570 N 2nd Street
El Cajon, CA 92021

Fresenius Kidney Care 
Balboa East Lakes Dialysis

2391 Boswell Rd
Chula Vista, CA 91914

Fresenius Kidney Care 
Chula Vista South

2252 Versus Street
San Diego, CA 92154

Fresenius Kidney Care 
Gateway East

720 Gateway Center Dr. Suite B
San Diego, CA 92102

Fresenius Kidney Care 
Camarillo

3801 Las Posas Rd Suite 103
Camarillo, CA 93010

Fresenius Kidney Care 
University Dialysis Center of Orange

1809 W Chapman Ave
Orange, CA 92868

Fresenius Kidney Care 
Juniper Fontana

10557 Juniper Ave Suite A
Fontana, CA 92337

Fresenius Kidney Care 
North Fontana

16423 Sierra Lakes Pkwy
Fontana, CA 92336

Fresenius Kidney Care 
Riverside

3470 La Sierra Ave Suite E
Riverside, CA 92503

Fresenius Kidney Care 
Indian Court Redlands

1449 W Redlands Blvd
Redlands, CA 92373

Fresenius Kidney Care 
Elk Grove Blvd.

8139 Elk Grove Blvd Suite 200
Elk Grove, CA 95758

Fresenius Kidney Care 
Brentwood Park

4510 Ohara Ave Suite B
Brentwood, CA 94513

Fresenius Kidney Care
Antioch

2386 Buchanan Rd
Antioch, CA 94509

Satellite Healthcare 
Folsom

210 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 100
Folsom, CA 95630

Satellite Healthcare 
Blossom Valley

1450 Kooser Road
San Jose, CA 95118

Satellite Healthcare 
Gilroy

8095 Camino Arroyo St., Suite 100 Gilroy, CA 95020

Satellite Healthcare 
Milpitas

1860 Milmont Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035

Satellite Healthcare 
Morgan Hill

16060 Caputo Drive, Suite 140
Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Satellite Healthcare 
Rohnert Park

6265 Commerce Blvd., Suite 156
Rohnert Park, CA 94928

Satellite Healthcare 
San Francisco

1700 California Street, Suite 260
San Francisco, CA 94109

Satellite Healthcare 
Vallejo

4300 Sonoma Boulevard, Suite 25 Vallejo, CA 94589

It’s time to show our support again for these healthcare heroes! Make sure to like and share SEIU-UHW posts and use the Hashtags #ULPstrike #united4all #fixdialysis #solidarityseason

https://twitter.com/seiu_uhw

https://www.facebook.com/unitedhealthcareworkers

https://www.instagram.com/seiuuhw/?hl=de 

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SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is a healthcare justice union of more than 100,000 healthcare workers, patients, and healthcare activists united to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality care for all Californians, provided by valued and respected healthcare workers. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.