At Porter Medical Center and Helen Porter Center, there is a significant event taking place, and not many of us are aware of this situation. The LPNs, the techs and the support staff have formed a bargaining unit and are negotiating a first contract with the PMC administration.

At stake are three important issues for the workers: a livable wage, safe staffing ratios, and work schedules that respect life-work balance and prioritize patient safety. If you are amazed that poor wages and untenable working conditions are still at issue at Porter, you might be shocked to understand that many of these workers at Porter are making even less than they would be in a fast-food restaurant.

These workers are our neighbors whom we depend on, and yet many of them find that it is hard just to put food on the table for their families. Their pay does not nearly meet the costs of daily living, and they suffer. Also, the scheduling of shifts and hours can be unpredictable, causing family life and personal health to deteriorate. The stress on the workers, who care passionately and strive hard for quality, can be overwhelming. A failure to schedule the requisite number of workers per shift compromises the safety of the patients and residents being served.

For me, it is essential to know that when I or a loved one is seeking care at Porter, the staff themselves are well-cared-for in terms of wages that allow them to support their families, adequate family time and rest time, and the necessary numbers of staff on each shift to efficiently and effectively care for the patients and residents in their charge. We need to show our support for these newly-unionized workers in their struggle to gain respect and, for goodness sake, to feed their families!

We need these workers to be at Porter when we need them, and right now they need us!

Millard Cox

Ripton