Several union members from AFSCME Local 2474 are calling for an independent investigation into the workplace culture at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Civil rights attorney Sellano Simmons, who is representing the HCMC employees, held a press conference Thursday with union members. Workers said they have faced retaliation after trying to raise safety and equity issues at the health care system.
Employees have reported being removed from leadership roles, excluded from decision-making, and subjected to scrutiny after voicing concerns.
Eiko Mizushima, a former staff member at HCMC, served as the executive chair of the Asian Collective, an employee group that highlights the diverse voices of the Asian community. She said she left the health care system last fall due to harassment, discrimination and retaliation adding that her concerns were dismissed.
“What I found really difficult near the end was that I had filed a report with HR reporting harassment and discrimination from someone who was part of the executive leadership team, and it was ignored,” Mizushima said.
Attorney Simmons sent a formal letter to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners outlining the concerns that women of color and other marginalized staff members face after speaking up about workplace inequities.
The letter requests a thorough external evaluation of the hospital's internal culture and personnel practices.
“Silencing diverse voices, especially those advocating for equity and better patient care, not only undermines HCMC’s mission, it erodes the community’s confidence in a publicly funded hospital,” Simmons said.
The union said they have documented ongoing concerns regarding workplace violence prevention, discriminatory discipline, and a lack of accountability from management throughout the organization, and internal efforts to resolve these issues have been exhausted.
Hennepin Healthcare said in a statement that it prohibits harassment and discrimination in the workplace. The health care system reported that an independent investigation was promptly initiated upon becoming aware of the allegations raised by the attorney’s clients.
The investigation is ongoing.