> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Vigil canceled as home agrees to talks - URL: https://www.smdp.com/vigil-canceled-as-home-agrees-to-talks/ - Published: 2003-03-13T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T01:48:05.000Z - Author: John Wood - Tags: Health, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Convalescent hospital accused of mistreating residents, workers* The threat of a clergy-sponsored vigil on its front lawn was enough to force a local nursing home accused of mistreating residents and underpaying workers to the negotiating table. Officials from the parent company of Oceanview Convalescent Hospital, located at 1340 15th St., agreed Wednesday to talks with members of the Service Employees International Union Local 434 B, which represents long-term health care workers. After the agreement, clergy members and union organizers canceled the afternoon vigil and said they were hopeful to make progress in “good faith negotiations” with the company next week. “It’s about patient care,” said Gilbert Ramirez, an SEIU organizer from Local 434B. “And it’s about better service.” Ramirez said nursing homes statewide are facing a 15 percent budget cut from the state, which could translate into even tougher times for both workers and patients. Members of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice said they called the vigil because they are worried about the quality of assisted living at the 150-resident home and the subpar wages paid to workers. “Ultimately it comes back to the patient,” said Rev. William Jarvis Johnson. “We believe that if workers are treated fairly, then the patients will get better care.” A spokesman for Golden State Health Centers, which also runs other nursing homes in Southern California, refused to comment on the vigil, saying he didn’t know about it. More than 15 clergy members and 50 community activists were confirmed to attend the vigil before it was canceled and many others were expected to show up, according to CLUE officials. Despite the cancellation, about 20 members of the community arrived to support the union. In a press release sent out before the vigil was called off, CLUE publicized Oceanview’s documented history of “patient care deficiencies.” On Feb. 27, Oceanview was fined $12,000 by the L.A. County Department of Health Services for negligence and abuse of a resident, the press release said. Golden State Health Centers spokesman Dan Durazo acknowledged there had been a recent incident but said patients at Oceanview receive the best care possible. “The hospital did everything possible to insure that appropriate regulations were followed,” Durazo said. “The hospital wants to assure the community, its patients and their families that it has an excellent safety record and is doing everything possible to insure the health and safety of its patients.” In January, a certified nursing assistant “willfully disregarded” instructions to use a hoyer lift to transfer a patient, he said. The patient was injured, but received immediate medical care and the nurse was fired, Durazo said. Oceanview is currently appealing the citation filed by the Department of Health Services in relation to the mishap, Durazo said. A Department of Health Services spokeswoman said she could not comment Tuesday on specific citations, but confirmed Oceanview has received complaints. She also said the agency investigated the site and issued citations for violations of state code but that all complaints had been corrected and no issues were currently outstanding. 415,A hospital resident on Wednesday said the hospital wasn’t perfect, but that it was better than “some other places.” One complaint, said another resident, was the high-rate of turnover among certified nursing assistants, some of whom seemed to have no previous training. “Sometimes they don’t know what they’re doing,” said the resident, who relies on CNAs to help change his clothes and wash him. “And you have to tell them what to do.” Another resident complained the food is “pretty drab,” but said overall the service is good. “We ate hamburgers last week,” the resident said. “They were so tough you couldn’t eat them. I took one bite and spit it right out.” The Daily Press isn’t identifying the residents for fear that they will be retaliated against for the criticism. Johnson warned that CLUE won’t hesitate to again “call out the troops” if negotiations don’t progress. “We called this vigil to let Oceanview know that the community is watching,” he said. “We are in support of worker’s rights and the respect that workers deserve.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/031303-03_01-7.jpg) The Oceanview Convalescent Hospital, located at 1340 15th St., was the site of a planned, clergy-sponsored vigil Wednesday. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 13, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/031303.pdf?ref=smdp.com)