Columbia VA hospital not protecting employees from COVID-19, union says

The Columbia Veterans Affairs hospital is not adequately protecting its employees from coronavirus, a labor union contends.

The American Federation of Government Employees Local 1915 alleges the VA hospital is not providing sufficient personal protective equipment to employees to shield them from contracting COVID-19, something the hospital denies.

The union also claims hospital leadership is prohibiting some staff from working remotely and not giving paid leave to employees who have been exposed to the contagious and potentially deadly virus, as well as failing to conduct appropriate training among staff to prevent the virus’ spread.

“Employees at the Columbia VA Health Care Center are reporting that they are receiving only one mask a week in some area and one a day in patient care areas,” Bonnie Grant, a union member, said in a press release laying out the complaints.

Some employees are receiving only one mask per week, but only those employees deemed “non-clinical” and who have no contact with coronavirus patients, VA spokeswoman Sharonda Pearson said in an email.

“Outpatient nurses have been moved to inpatient care and are being mandated to work 12 hour shifts when they usually only work eight-hour shifts. The agency managers have refused to negotiate with the Union over changes in working conditions,” Grant continued. “Employees have been charged with AWOL when they have symptoms of the virus while they wait for results of testing.”

It is true that the hospital reassigned some employees who work eight-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts, and it’s something the hospital said is necessary to care for patients, Pearson said. The hospital denies that anyone was listed as absent without leave (AWOL) because they had coronavirus symptoms, Pearson said.

The union held a protest Saturday outside the Columbia VA, calling on officials to address these concerns. Photos of the event showed that roughly 20 people were in attendance.

The concerns raised by the Columbia union are similar to those that VA employees have raised throughout the country, according to an article from the Washington Post.

Internal emails reviewed by NPR also show the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been telling employees to use the same mask for a week in what appears to be a widespread policy, despite the fact that re-using a surgical mask can diminish its effectiveness.

As of late April, more than 6,300 veterans in VA hospitals have tested positive for COVID-19, Military Times has reported.

This story was originally published May 10, 2020 at 8:55 AM.