California Nurses Group Files Discrimination Suit Against Sutter Health
The California Nurses Association recently filed a class-action grievance against Sutter Health on the grounds that hospital managers would not hire Filipino nurses between 2007 and 2009, the Los Angeles Times' "L.A. Now" reports.
The grievance addresses alleged employment discrimination at Sutter's California Pacific Medical Center and St. Luke's Hospital, both in San Francisco.
On Thursday, CNA joined with Filipino activists in the Bay Area to urge the San Francisco Human Rights Commission to investigate whether Sutter conducted discriminatory hiring practices.
Three former California Pacific managers submitted statements to the commission saying that supervisors told them not to hire Filipino nurses over the two-year period.
The nurses association also submitted records that show the percentage of Filipino nurses at the hospital decreased in 2008 from 65% to 10%.
Health System Response
Sutter officials said CNA's claims are nothing more than a negotiating tactic, as the two groups have been engaged in contract negotiations for three years (Hennessy-Fiske, "L.A. Now," Los Angeles Times, 8/19).
Warren Browner, CEO of California Pacific, said, "We pride ourselves on our diverse hiring policies" (Commins, HealthLeaders Media, 8/23). He noted that the percentage of Asian nurses at St. Luke's Hospital increased from 63% in 2007 to 66% currently ("L.A. Now," Los Angeles Times, 8/19).
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