Resolution Reducing Non-Union Work in Cook County Health Moves Forward

The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved moving forward resolution 24-5841 which will reduce the Cook County Health system’s reliance on temporary staffing agencies while prioritizing permanent employees. The resolution will now go to Health and Hospitals Committee for approval.

SEIU Local 73 represents nearly 1,500 dedicated workers in the Cook County Hospital system and has been working closely with County Commissioners to end the outsourcing of union jobs.

“Our thanks to Commissioners Degnen, Anaya, and Quezada for bringing this vital resolution forward,” said SEIU Local 73 President Dian Palmer. “Cook County patients deserve the best quality care we can provide. This resolution sets us on the path to phasing out agency contracts, filling those positions with permanent workers, and filling the remaining vacancies as expeditiously as possible.”

Since 2018, CCH has awarded 500 million dollars in private, out-of-state agency staffing contracts to companies with records of wage theft, sexual harassment, and other workers’ rights abuses. Our members have observed agency workers being brought in from different states and receiving exorbitant pay as they work alongside union workers. These inexperienced agency workers lack the dedication and commitment to Cook County patients, which our members take seriously.

According to Local 73’s research, agency workers continue to represent nearly 48% of the total work to be provided for by our members. Ninety agency workers are taking on Building Service Worker positions. Eighty-three agency workers are in Stroger Labs under a general Medical Technologist title. Thirty-seven agency workers are handling in-patient transportation. And the list goes on and on.

The reliance on agency workers not only places a significant financial burden on Cook County taxpayers but also severely compromises the quality of patient care. These workers lack the experience and institutional knowledge necessary to effectively serve Cook County residents, making this a pressing issue that demands immediate attention.

While the County has previously attributed these challenges to the COVID pandemic, it’s important to note that these vacancies existed before 2020. The burden of these unfilled positions has been shouldered by existing workers, who now deal with larger workloads.

The resolution would ensure that Cook County Health’s agency-hired personnel should not exceed 20% of the budgeted Full Time Equivalents (FTE) personnel for each job classification approved in the annual budget by the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Once CCH meets the 20% goal, it will no longer provide the bi-annual reports or annual hearings detailed below; and Cook County Health shall provide bi-annual reports to the Board of Commissioners and the Board of Directors of the Cook County Health & Hospital System and work with the Health and Hospitals Committee Chair to schedule an annual hearing to provide an update to the Board of Commissioners and the public on the system reduction in agency hiring, and its progress in hiring permanent employees. Bi-annual reports should include total budgeted FTE’s, total vacancies, total agency level staffing for each position. CCH should report specific efforts to reduce reliance on agency staffing in the Cook County Health system. If CCH agency staffing exceeds the 20% goal, the bi-annual reports and annual hearings shall recommence.