St Mary’s “Legacy of Care” Missing in Action
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“But what can St. Mary's do? They are not the employer of these workers. They may have subcontracted out the work, but they haven't subcontracted their moral obligation. As Superior's largest customer, St. Mary's has an opportunity to guarantee that the workers' rights are being respected.”
Patrick Hickey, Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice
Op Ed, Wisconsin State Journal
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Superior Health Linens workers sort, launder, and process healthcare linens from nursing homes and hospitals. They encounter feces, blood and other body fluids, as well as needles and other items inadvertently left in dirty linen.
Superior pays low wages and does not provide affordable health coverage.
St. Mary's continues to contract with the company.
Workers' Stories: "What would happen if i ever got sick"?
 Graciela has worked at Superior for 9 years. Earning $10.25 an hour and uninsured, she found herself with a $3500 medical bill after an infection landed her in a hospital emergency room. Unable to pay, she was sued in small claims court and her wages were garnished.
“It’s difficult to live in Madison on this salary. My husband also works for Superior. But between the two of us, we can’t afford the medical insurance that the company offers. We have a daughter who is 8 years old. We don’t have any insurance for her. We can’t take her to the dentist either. Once or twice a year, her school has a “health day” and there is someone there who checks her teeth.
“I just finished paying a hospital bill of $3500. I had a serious infection where I had to go to the emergency room. The hospital [Meriter] sent it to collections because I just couldn’t pay the bill. They garnished my wages to pay the bill. They took something like $150 from each paycheck until the bill was paid.”
 Carlos earns just under $10.00 an hour after having worked at the company for almost 8 years. Last year was the first time in five years that he received a raise.
“I have worked for almost 8 years for Superior. I have two children, a 14 month old boy and a 3 month old baby girl. After paying rent, electricity, and other bills, and gas which costs so much, we often don’t have enough money for food. We have to go to food banks to get enough to eat. Sometimes, my wife won’t eat because there just isn’t enough.
Fortunately, my wife and children have medical insurance from the state. But I don’t have health coverage. What would happen if I ever got sick?”
A “legacy of compassionate care”: Workers told To seek justice somewhere else
“any workers of Superior who believe they are being mistreated already have multiple avenues at the local, state and federal levels readily available for them to bring their issues forward.”
---- DR. Frank Byrne, President St. Mary's
“it would not be appropriate for the hospital to get involved.”
---Steve Sparks, St. Mary's Spokesperson
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 Imelda was hired at $6.45/hr, and now earns $7.95, after receiving two raises (50 cents and 25 cents an hour) that all workers in the Madison Superior plant were given after the workers began to organize. She asked for extended maternity leave because she cannot find any affordable child care.
“I have worked at the Superior plant for 1 ½ years. I fold the heavy blankets and towels, the heaviest things in the plant. When I was about 5 months pregnant I asked them to move me to a different job [lighter work]. The supervisors told me that they couldn’t find anyone to replace me because no one wanted to do such heavy work. They didn’t move me to a new job until I was 7 months pregnant.
Also during my pregnancy the supervisors complained that I was going to the bathroom too many times. They said to me, “if you have to leave to go to the bathroom so often, why don’t you just leave work altogether?”
Sign on Letter: send a message to St. Mary's HOspital
Join over 50 Community, Political and Religious Leaders
“We believe that St Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, which benefits from their hard work, shares responsibility for the well-being of Superior workers.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE LETTER
SUPERIOR WORKERS’ CAMPAIGN FOR RESPECT AND DIGNITY
| March 2006 |
Workers begin organizing with Unite Here, the laundry workers union |
| April 2006 |
Workers file complaint with OSHA alleging unsafe and unsanitary working conditions |
| May 4, 2006 |
Superior workers and supporters rally outside St. Mary’s. Steve Sparks, a spokesperson for the hospital, states "St. Mary's is pleased with Superior Health Linens' service." |
| May 5, 2006 |
St. Mary’s audits Superior's plant, resulting in at least nine findings related to hygiene and infection control. |
| May 25, 2006 |
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cites Superior with blood borne pathogen violations, including company's failure to provide instruments for workers to pick up discarded sharps and failure to offer employees a Hepatitis B vaccination within 10 days of hire. |
| June 21, 2006 |
Dane County, a Superior Health Linens customer, audits Superior's Syene Road plant and finds Superior in violation of the county’s living wage ordinance. |
| September 19, 2006 |
The National Labor Relations Board finds that 21 charges filed by Superior workers against the company for violating their rights to organize had sufficient evidence to warrant a trial. Superior chooses to settle the charges in order to avoid prosecution. |
| January 2007 |
Dane County announces that it has awarded linen contract to a unionized Aramark plant in Madison |
| February 3, 2007 |
Over 100 community and religious leaders and activists, laundry workers, and students rally outside of St. Mary’s on the coldest day of the year to demand hospital take concrete steps in support of Superior workers. |
| March 24, 2007 |
Actor and activist Danny Glover joins Bruce Raynor, general president of UNITE HERE and 200 laundry workers outside St. Mary’s. Glover, Raynor, and Superior workers then lead the Immigrants Rights March to oppose real ID legislation. |
| June 27, 2007 |
Panel convened by Dane County Board Chair Scott McDonell and co-chaired by County Executive Kathleen Falk heard testimony from Superior workers about low wages and lack of access to affordable health care. |
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Danny Glover speaking at a UniteHere! rally recently after challenging St. Mary's Hospital about its failure to support Superior Health Linens workers.
