How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Thousands of nurses around the Bay Area plan to walk out on May 1 to protest concessions they say Sutter hospitals are seeking at the bargaining table.
An estimated 4,500 registered nurses at eight hospitals will take part in the one-day strike, according to the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United.
Nurses from Sutter Lakeside in Lakeport, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center facilities in Berkeley and Oakland, Mills-Peninsula Health Services hospitals in Burlingame and San Mateo, Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, San Leandro Hospital, Sutter Delta in Antioch, Sutter Solano in Vallejo and Novato Community Hospital will participate, the unions said.
The California Nurses Association’s nurses last went on strike Sept. 22, 2011, as Lake County News has reported.
The latest strike announcement comes as Sutter Lakeside and its union-represented nurses have reached an impasse in negotiations, according to hospital Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson.
“Unfortunately, I think that’s where we are,” Nelson told Lake County News on Tuesday.
The hospital has been in negotiations with the California Nurses Association for nine months, taking part in 25 bargaining sessions, according to Nelson. The union represents 124 of Sutter Lakeside’s registered nurses.
The plans for the strike also follow Sutter Lakeside’s recent announcements of plans to cut 10 percent of its staff and close its Upper Lake and pain management clinics in order to avoid a multimillion shortfall for the current fiscal year, as Lake County News has reported.
The California Nurses Association said Sutter affiliates are demanding reductions in patient care, nurses’ standards and workplace conditions. In the case of the latter, top issues revolve around sick leave, health benefits, retirement and overtime requirements.
The union said that Sutter is making the demands despite making more than $4 billion in profit since 2007, giving Chief Executive Officer Pat Fry a 215-percent salary hike to more than $4 million annually last year and paying its top 21 executives more than $1 million each annually.
Nelson said Sutter Lakeside Hospital will remain open for business as usual on May 1, with trained nurses ready to fill in for striking nurses.
“Patient care and patient safety is our No. 1 priority,” she said.
Nelson said the hospital is contracting with a temporary service agency to bring in qualified registered nurses.
The agency’s shortest minimum contract requirement is five days, which will mean that striking nurses will not be able to return to work until the five-day period ends, Nelson said.
“Unfortunately, Sutter Lakeside Hospital is not in a position to double pay for service,” said Nelson.
The practice of bringing in such an agency – which has been done previously – rankles the union.
California Nurses Association spokesman Chuck Idelson questioned why the hospital needed to lock out nurses and said he didn’t believe Nelson’s statement about a minimum contract length.
Nelson said the hospital doesn’t know how many nurses may participate in the strike. “It changes minute by minute.”
Idelson said he believes that most of those nurses will take part in the May 1 strike.
Idelson accused Sutter Lakeside management of pursuing takeaways such as ending benefits for registered nurses who work part-time and forcing other nurses to work overtime, which he called “a very dangerous practice.”
Contract negotiations stall
Nelson said Sutter Lakeside’s contract with its nurses expired Aug. 31, 2011.
She said the hospital began negotiations six months before the contract was to end, and with the help of a federal mediator reached agreement on noneconomic proposals.
When it got to the economic proposals, she said the process stalled, with the union not offering any written economic counter proposals.
“Really, this is all about money,” she said.
“It’s really sad to me that CNA is calling for a strike against a small rural hospital that is working hard to stabilize its financials” and be able to stay in the community, Nelson said.
Nelson, who called the situation “extremely frustrating,” said Sutter Lakeside offers a competitive wage package, very generous health benefits and a fully funded pension plan.
Regarding the latter, she said, “I don’t know any other health care system that can make that claim,” adding that it’s a commitment of the organization.
Nelson said Sutter Lakeside’s nurses have received an overall 27-percent pay increase over the past four years. “And now I’m in a position to have to lay people off.”
Idelson called the claim about money being the union’s main issue a “smoke screen” used to divert attention from Sutter’s attempts to cuts services and work standards.
“The strike is not about wage increases the nurses are seeking,” Idelson said, adding that if Sutter is concerned about wages that it should look at its top executives.
The union accused Sutter Lakeside of planning to close its home health services. Nelson replied, “Sutter Lakeside Hospital has not done home health services in years so I’m not really sure what they’re talking about.”
The hospital also isn’t planning to limit acute-care hospital stays, as the union has claimed, according to Nelson, who said, “we treat people for as long as its clinically appropriate.”
Nelson said the hospital presented its last, best and final offer to the union on March 27.
“We’ve asked the union for a counter proposal,” Nelson said. “We have not received it.”
According to a summary of the offer’s highlights presented to staff and shared with Lake County News, Sutter Lakeside is offering ratification bonuses for registered nurses; 1-percent across the board increases one year after ratification and an additional 1 percent two years after ratification; step increases beginning one year after ratification; no-premium health benefit options for registered nurses and their families; employer contributions to a fully funded employee pension plan; between 19 minimum and 48 maximum paid days off; an increase in the retiree health care spending account to $30,000; and rewards for professional development.
Nelson said she went “all in” on the March 27 offer, adding, “we don’t have any more money, there is nothing else.”
Idelson did not have information on any union counterproposal, and also could not say if the union had presented the offer to its members.
However, he said the nurses at Sutter Lakeside voted to take part in the strike.
He said the union was able to conclude negotiations with hospitals in Marin and Santa Rosa after management there withdrew concessions requests.
Sutter, he said, should do the same, saying it’s a multibillion dollar Wall Street corporation.
“We’re not dealing with a mom and pop hospital here that’s on the verge of going belly up,” Idelson said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Lake County’s participation at several national wine trade shows proved to be a “resounding success,” say representatives of the county’s administration and the Lake County Winegrape Commission.
A California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Specialty Crop Grant made it possible for the Commission to attend selected shows this year.
In January, a contingent of Lake County wine industry representatives traveled to the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento.
Participation in two shows in February took the delegates to the Midwest Grape and Wine Conference and Trade Show – billed as the third largest wine industry trade show in the United States – in St. Charles, Missouri, and to the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association’s Annual Conference and Trade Show in San Marcos, Texas.
During the month of March, individuals worked the Commission’s booth at the Eastern Winery Exposition in Lancaster, Penn., and the Wineries Unlimited Trade Show and Conference in Richmond, Va.
Sharing information about Lake County’s wine industry and the county in general, commission President Shannon Gunier and commission board members were joined by county representatives and commission committee members at the various trade shows.
The Lake County contingent obtained information about potential winegrape buyers and businesses interested in the area. Gunier said leads are available to qualified Lake County growers by calling the Commission office, 707-995-3421.
“We poured wine and talked to interested parties about Lake County and the grapes we grow,” said Bill Brunetti, chair of the commission’s Industry Relations Committee.
Brunetti and his wife Patti attended the Pennsylvania and Virginia shows in March.
“In general, (we) tried to sell our county and our grapes,” Bill Brunetti said. “The county’s participation was well received. I think that the new booth pretty much outdid any other at the show. The wines spoke for themselves, and the presence of County personnel talking about the desire of Lake County to attract business was a home run.”
County Administrative Analyst Alan Flora echoed Brunetti’s sentiments about the reception of the County’s presence at the expositions.
“The interest generated in Lake County as a destination, a producer of fine wines, and as a place to do business exceeded all of my expectations,” said Flora. “The breadth of questions and comments were phenomenal. Few people were able to pass our booth by. Our booth design focused on a dramatic presentation of the scenic beauty of our County, the substantial and impressive development of our most established wineries, education about what makes our growing region so unique and full of potential, and the bold, complex, and delightful wines we produce.”
Budget constraints had forced the commission to cancel participation in out-of-state industry trade shows that had proven to be instrumental in showcasing Lake County wines in past years, according to Gunier.
Receipt of the CDFA Specialty Crop grant, dubbed by the commission as the “Lake County Rising Campaign” grant, allowed the winegrape growers organization to team with the county to continue marketing work at industry shows.
The grant was awarded to increase the effectiveness of the preexisting campaign, Gunier said.
“It was money very well spent,” Brunetti said about use of the grant funds. “There was certainly no downside to the commission's involvement; and even though most of our grape sales are closer to home, we do export to the East Coast. We also have a responsibility to our growers to promote the region, and that certainly was accomplished.”
Brunetti said he spoke with two people who indicated interest in opening wineries in Lake County. Additionally, one manufacturer of wine glasses made plans to visit the area to explore the idea of opening a facility in the county.
Flora, who attended shows in Sacramento, Texas, Pennsylvania and Virginia, said the official county presence “created quite an impression.”
“The commission asked me to be involved in an effort to expand the impact of the shows from the traditional marketing of winegrapes, juice, and bulk wine, to include promotion of Lake County as a recreation destination as well as an opportunity for development of vineyards, wineries, and/or wine related industries,” Flora explained.
“The (county’s) new ‘Growing the Wine Industry’ brochure and Development Incentive Program, which was put together by the County Economic Development Program, strongly emphasize our commitment to both the wine industry and growing our local economy,” Flora said. “Some folks (at the trade shows) even took extra copies of our information to present to their elected officials and say, ‘Look at what Lake County has done; we need to do this here.’ I think that speaks volumes to the commitment and determination our county has to grow a more vibrant economy in this place we love so much.”
The success of the shows will be measured by the demand for winegrapes from Lake County, Flora said.
“Many tons were sold as a result of the trade show exposure,” said Flora. “One winery owner demanded access to Lake County grapes after one taste of our Sauvignon Blanc. In another example, a winemaker sampled a local Syrah and exclaimed that it was the best he had ever tasted. Similar stories are endless, but the impact was noticeable and the exposure valuable.”
The impact on the area’s tourism may take longer to realize, Flora added. “However, I am confident that there will be an increase in visitors to Lake County as a result of the trade show exposure. There was a really significant interest in development opportunities and investment from a variety of parties.”
For more information about the Lake County Winegrape Commission’s marketing efforts and special events, visit the Commission’s website at www.lakecountywinegrape.org .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's annual burn ban starts on Tuesday, May 1, the Lake County Air Quality Management District reported.
The annual ban addresses concerns over both fire hazard and air quality.
The burn restriction applies to all areas in Lake County. All burn permits expire on April 30.
The annual burn ban was first implemented in 1986 in response to weather conditions that often create extreme fire danger and poor air quality.
For many years a managed approach which incorporates fire and air agency concerns has been implemented and improved upon.
The ban as implemented allows a quick fire agency response to all fires observed from May 1 on, as they are all assumed to be uncontrolled fires unless specifically authorized by an exemption for time and place.
Officials credit the program as one of the primary reasons Lake County has superior and healthful
air quality.
The ban also helps prevent smoke impacts to the general public and large planned outdoor events by unrestricted vegetative waste burns.
The burn ban includes all open waste burning, though exceptions are possible for agricultural operations, essential control burns for fire safety projects, public safety burns and others.
To obtain an exemption for a necessary burn after May 1, first contact the Lake County Air Quality Management District to determine need, then your local fire protection agency so that your burn site can be inspected and evaluated for fire safety.
Only after the fire agency has inspected the burn site and notified the Lake County Air Quality Management District that the proposed burn is fire safe, can you obtain a written exemption permit.
Anyone responsible for open burning without a valid written exemption permit may be subject to a citation, fines, and the cost of the Fire Agency response to extinguish the fire.
Burn restrictions will remain in effect until Cal Fire declares an end to fire season.
Lake County Air Quality Management District asks that the community help reduce the danger and losses caused by uncontrolled fires and protect the county's designation as the only air basin in the state to meet all ambient air quality standards by following the ban.
Public cooperation is greatly appreciated and results in a safer and more healthful environment for everyone, the district reported.
The American Red Cross has helped people in 16 states whose lives were disrupted by severe spring weather so far this year.
Most recently, the Red Cross responded to tornadoes in Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa by opening shelters, serving meals, providing emotional support and handing out relief supplies.
As of April 20, the Red Cross has deployed 2,700 workers who have helped people affected by floods and tornadoes by serving more than 239,000 meals and snacks; handing out more than 111,000 relief items such as comfort kits and cleaning supplies like shovels, rakes, gloves and trash bags; opening 47 shelters and providing more than 1,300 overnight stays; and providing more than 9,000 health and mental health contacts.
American Red Cross, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties is involved with the effort.
In Santa Rosa, Friedman’s Home Improvement has donated $10,000 to help support Red Cross relief throughout the Midwest. In addition to the funds donated through the local Red Cross chapter, Friedman's is accepting customer donations for the victims of the storms in their stores in Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Ukiah.
“The Red Cross is grateful for Friedman’s donation and their effort to collect funds for those affected by the spring tornadoes,” said Red Cross Regional CEO Tim Miller.
Friends and family outside the disaster area can learn the status of their loved ones by using a pre-disaster phone number or complete address on the Red Cross “Safe and Well” Web site.
The Red Cross encourages people to register on the Red Cross “Safe and Well” Web site to let loved ones know they are safe by visiting www.redcross.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
“Safe and Well” also enables disaster survivors to update their Facebook and Twitter status through the Web site.
People can help those affected by disasters like the Midwest tornadoes and storms, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief at www.arcsm.org (Red Cross Web site for Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties); at www.redcross.org (national Red Cross Web site); calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767); texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation; U.S. mail: 5297 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403; at the Red Cross: 5297 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District reported on Tuesday that it has appointed an interim general manager.
On Friday, April 20, the district board unanimously appointed Roland Sanford of Santa Rosa as interim general manager, the district said.
“We are delighted to have Mr. Sanford on board,” said HVLCSD Board Chairperson Linda Herndon. “His consensus building and technical expertise will be invaluable as we move forward as an organization.”
“I’m pleased to be here and to get to know the Hidden Valley Lake community, and I want to thank the HVLCSD for this opportunity,” said Sanford.
Sanford has 27 years of technical and managerial experience with local, state and federal water projects in California – seven years in the private sector and 20 years with public water agencies, 13 years with the Solano County Water Agency and, more recently, seven years as the general manager of Mendocino County Water Agency.
While with the Solano County Water Agency, Sanford served six years as the agency’s assistant general manager and was instrumental in the settlement negotiations that resolved the Putah Creek water cases of the 1990s.
As the general manager of the Mendocino County Water Agency, Sanford led Mendocino County’s participation in the highly successful seven-county North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan and associated grant proposals that secured over $10,000,000 for infrastructure and habitat restoration projects in Mendocino County.
Sanford’s appointment as the interim general manager is expected to last three to six months, the district reported.
On May 1, the district board will meet to discuss recruitment of a permanent general manager.
The board let go its previous general manager, Mel Aust, at its March 20 meeting, as Lake County News has reported.
The district provides sewer and water to an estimated 7,000 residents of Hidden Valley Lake.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday that the fourth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy – known more commonly as “mad cow disease” – has been confirmed in a California dairy cow.
"As part of our targeted surveillance system, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed the nation's fourth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a dairy cow from central California,” said USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford.
Clifford said the animal's carcass is being held under state authority at a rendering facility in California and will be destroyed. It was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health. Additionally, milk does not transmit BSE.
Samples from the animal in question were tested at USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.
Confirmatory results using immunohistochemistry and western blot tests confirmed the animal was positive for atypical BSE, a very rare form of the disease not generally associated with an animal consuming infected feed.
California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross said the detection of the BSE in the cow showed that the surveillance program in place in California and around the country is working.
“Milk and beef remain safe to consume,” she said. “The disease is not transmitted through milk. Because of the strength of the food protection system, the cow did not enter the food or feed supply. There are numerous safeguards in place to prevent BSE from entering the food chain.”
Ross said the atypical BSE designation was an important aspect of the case.
“CDFA veterinarians are working with the USDA to investigate this case and to identify whether additional cows are at risk,” she said. Feed restrictions in place in California and around the country for the last 15 years minimize that risk to the greatest degree possible. We will provide additional information about this case as it becomes available.”
California Department of Public Health Director and Public Health Officer Dr. Ron Chapman said there is no public health threat due to the discovery of BSE in the dairy cow, and his agency is continuing to monitor the situation.
“The food supply in California has not been affected by this discovery, and residents do not need to take any specific precautions,” he said.
Clifford said the United States has had longstanding interlocking safeguards to protect human and animal health against BSE. For public health, those measures include the USDA ban on specified risk materials, or SRMs, from the food supply.
SRMs are parts of the animal that are most likely to contain the BSE agent if it is present in an animal. USDA also bans all nonambulatory (sometimes called "downer") cattle from entering the human food chain.
For animal health, the Food and Drug Administration ban on ruminant material in cattle feed prevents the spread of the disease in the cattle herd.
"Evidence shows that our systems and safeguards to prevent BSE are working, as are similar actions taken by countries around the world,” Clifford said.
In 2011, there were only 29 worldwide cases of BSE, a dramatic decline and 99 percent reduction since the peak in 1992 of 37,311 cases. Clifford attributed that decline to the impact and effectiveness of feed bans as a primary control measure for the disease.
"We are sharing our laboratory results with international animal health reference laboratories in Canada and England, which have official World Animal Health (OIE) reference labs,” Clifford said. “These labs have extensive experience diagnosing atypical BSE and will review our confirmation of this form of the disease. In addition, we will be conducting a comprehensive epidemiological investigation in conjunction with California animal and public health officials and the FDA.”
BSE is a progressive neurological disease among cattle that is always fatal. It belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.
Affected animals may display nervousness or aggression, abnormal posture, difficulty in coordination and rising, decreased milk production, or loss of body weight despite continued appetite.
"This detection in no way affects the United States' BSE status as determined by the OIE,” said Clifford. “The United States has in place all of the elements of a system that OIE has determined ensures that beef and beef products are safe for human consumption: a mammalian feed ban, removal of specified risk materials, and vigorous surveillance. Consequently, this detection should not affect U.S. trade.”
He added, “USDA remains confident in the health of the national herd and the safety of beef and dairy products. As the epidemiological investigation progresses, USDA will continue to communicate findings in a timely and transparent manner.”