Workers Seek Ground Rules for Union Election
Note Hospital System Failing
SANTA ROSA, Calif.,
Nov. 3, 2007
PRNewswire
Unfortunately, caregivers have been met with an aggressive anti-union campaign that includes mandatory, anti-union meetings during work time and spending scarce patient-care dollars fighting their own employees. The management campaign has also included illegal threats, surveillance and discrimination of pro-union workers.
"All we're after is the ability to stand up and speak out to improve patient care at these hospitals," said Rosa Santos, an OR tech at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. "With a union, we'll have that voice. But St. Joseph management has done so much to deprive us of our rights that we need fair ground rules before we can have a union election."
The event brought together hundreds of workers and healthcare advocates from across California to deliver the message of fairness and justice to the leadership of St. Joseph, which operates two North Bay hospitals (Santa
Rosa Memorial and Petaluma Valley) and seven more across the state. Workers believe the hospital chain's anti-union activities go against its stated core values of Justice, Dignity, Excellence and Service.
Among those attending to support the workers were Santa Rosa City Council member Susan Gorin; Nancy Dobbs of the Palm Drive Hospital board of directors; Father Ramon Pons, associate pastor at St. Rose Church in Santa
Rosa; and JoAnn Consiglieri, a former Sister of St. Joseph of Orange, the Catholic order of women religious that sponsors the health system. "I urge the St. Joseph Health System to agree to fair ground rules for a union election," Gorin said. The voice of hospital workers should be respected in light of the challenges faced by the local healthcare system.
More information about the workers' organizing drive can be found online at http://www.JusticeAtStJHS.org.
The 150,000-member SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West is the largest hospital and healthcare union in the western United States and represents every type of healthcare worker, including nurses, professional, technical and service classifications. Our mission is to achieve high-quality healthcare for all.