Faizon Cutler works at the state-run Central Regional Hospital in Butner, North Carolina, north of Raleigh.
Central Regional has 1,437 employees, but 449 vacancies, which is nearly 25% vacancy rate. Cutler said the staffing shortages played a role in an attack on him and his coworkers in June.
“The patient started to call us names,” Cutler said. “I got hit in my chest and hit in my back twice.
“Anybody she saw in her way she put her hands on towards them and she did just that ... I got a contusion on my knee, I got cut in my lip ... Two of my co-workers got hurt, two nurses got attacked. One of them is still out.”
Cutler and other workers are represented by UE Local 150, a union that shines the light on problems at the hospital, including employee assaults and low pay. Workers also said contractors are used to fill vacancies. Contractors that make more money than full-time, long-time employees and in many cases, Cutler said those workers leave before their contracts run out.