Petition is successful with 1,068 signatures
To: Fran Butler-Cohen, CEO of Family Health Centers of San Diego
Raise Wages to $22 To Truly Support Our Family
"We were able to secure a $2/h raise on our minimum wage! It is not exactly the living wage we demanded, but a step in a better direction, and a reminder that our voices have power!"
If you are a Family Health Centers of San Diego employee, or want to support our community, sign this petition to voice our collective demand for FHCSD leadership to change the organization's starting wage to $22 per hour for all employees, and provide adequate adjustments based on previous raises earned.
The team of healthcare workers at Family Health Centers of San Diego has proven excellence, caring for our patients and advocating for their needs even beyond the resources available through the organization which employs us. Many perform daily duties and show great knowledge on skills and responsibilities far more abundant than their job description. From the Representative screening at the door, to the Medical Assistant rooming a patient, every member of the staff is constantly engaged in crisis management. Many of us create a deep sense of comfort and familiarity with our patients.
Yet when this complex and skillful base of workers arrives home from work every day, they are faced with the stress and fear that comes with not being sure if rent will be paid on time; or with having to ask for help to feed their families; or with postponing their education for not being able to afford it.
According to MIT, the living wage in San Diego County was $21.16 per hour in 2019. Since then, the county has had an inflation increase of 2.85%, moving that living wage even higher. Our starting rate for hourly salaries in FHCSD was $14 per hour in the year of 2020, and many of our employees were not able to even adequately feed themselves or their families - a fact our leadership was aware of, since they had to open food pantries for employees during the pandemic (a resource that was not even available to all employees). Increasing the company’s minimum wage would improve these stressful situations without putting our workers through obstacles to have access to their basic needs - and we have the money for that.
Many departments have to do huge spend-downs at the end of fiscal years, and none of that money goes back to employees as wages or bonuses; instead it goes to things like buying thousands of merch. For the last few years, the company has made over $20 million per year in profit (reminder that we are a Non-Profit organization), and paid over $7 million per year in executive compensation; and all employees received at the end of the last year - a year plagued by a global pandemic, asking us all to risk our lives daily - was a giftcard for $50.
We all choose to work for our community through this organization, putting our knowledge, energy, and safety in service of our mission. We all accept the sacrifices this might bring to our lives. But with the success and size of our clinic - being one of the biggest community health-centers in the country, - we have the ability of providing wages that match our capabilities.
We are the ones on the frontlines, providing quality care, connecting our community to the resources FHCSD can offer, providing education, assisting with programs and documentation, making patients feel welcomed and comfortable at every encounter they have in our clinics, and advocating for their needs. We are Family Health Centers of San Diego.
The team of healthcare workers at Family Health Centers of San Diego has proven excellence, caring for our patients and advocating for their needs even beyond the resources available through the organization which employs us. Many perform daily duties and show great knowledge on skills and responsibilities far more abundant than their job description. From the Representative screening at the door, to the Medical Assistant rooming a patient, every member of the staff is constantly engaged in crisis management. Many of us create a deep sense of comfort and familiarity with our patients.
Yet when this complex and skillful base of workers arrives home from work every day, they are faced with the stress and fear that comes with not being sure if rent will be paid on time; or with having to ask for help to feed their families; or with postponing their education for not being able to afford it.
According to MIT, the living wage in San Diego County was $21.16 per hour in 2019. Since then, the county has had an inflation increase of 2.85%, moving that living wage even higher. Our starting rate for hourly salaries in FHCSD was $14 per hour in the year of 2020, and many of our employees were not able to even adequately feed themselves or their families - a fact our leadership was aware of, since they had to open food pantries for employees during the pandemic (a resource that was not even available to all employees). Increasing the company’s minimum wage would improve these stressful situations without putting our workers through obstacles to have access to their basic needs - and we have the money for that.
Many departments have to do huge spend-downs at the end of fiscal years, and none of that money goes back to employees as wages or bonuses; instead it goes to things like buying thousands of merch. For the last few years, the company has made over $20 million per year in profit (reminder that we are a Non-Profit organization), and paid over $7 million per year in executive compensation; and all employees received at the end of the last year - a year plagued by a global pandemic, asking us all to risk our lives daily - was a giftcard for $50.
We all choose to work for our community through this organization, putting our knowledge, energy, and safety in service of our mission. We all accept the sacrifices this might bring to our lives. But with the success and size of our clinic - being one of the biggest community health-centers in the country, - we have the ability of providing wages that match our capabilities.
We are the ones on the frontlines, providing quality care, connecting our community to the resources FHCSD can offer, providing education, assisting with programs and documentation, making patients feel welcomed and comfortable at every encounter they have in our clinics, and advocating for their needs. We are Family Health Centers of San Diego.
Why is this important?
Our leadership cannot claim to be pro-employee, as FHCSD has done, and not be proactive in improving the safety and well-being of our employees. To continue to devalue our workers you continue to choose to allow them to suffer through housing and food insecurity. As our leaders, we expect you to choose better.
If you are a Family Health Centers of San Diego employee, or want to support our community, sign this petition to voice our collective demand for FHCSD leadership to change the organization's starting wage to $22 per hour for all employees, and provide adequate adjustments based on previous raises earned.
If you are a Family Health Centers of San Diego employee, or want to support our community, sign this petition to voice our collective demand for FHCSD leadership to change the organization's starting wage to $22 per hour for all employees, and provide adequate adjustments based on previous raises earned.
