CHICO, Calif., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday. August 12, a delegation of Enloe Medical Center hospital workers delivered a letter to hospital management calling upon the Enloe Administration to re-run union elections for the approximately 800 service, technical and business office clerical workers employed at the facility. All three units participated in union elections in April of this year however, results are delayed pending review by the National Labor Relations Board. The letter asks management to agree to re-run the union elections while operating under a neutrality agreement that would allow employees to make decisions on whether to unionize without interference.
Throughout Northern California, healthcare employers including Catholic Healthcare West, Tenet and Kaiser have agreed to a process which allows employees to make a decision to unionize in a way that respects their rights, ensures that a vote is democratic, and is a true reflection of employees’ free will. Workers are calling upon Enloe Medical Center to meet the same standard.
The health care workers propose a neutrality agreement that would include the following: 1) that Enloe Medical Center as the employer would remain neutral in the discussion of whether employees should unionize and discussions about the union would be voluntary, 2) that employees should not be followed by security guards, threatened with loss of jobs, or taken away from patient care duties to sit in mandatory meetings to discuss the union, and 3) neither the employer nor the union nor any employee shall use threats or intimidation for or against voting to unionize.
“We are more than happy to hear that management is interested in promptly resolving the issues surrounding our union elections that occurred over 4 months ago,” said Lisa Bogen, certified nursing assistant at Enloe for over 11 years. “We’re letting the administration know that we would love to re-run the elections, provided they are willing to agree to let us vote without any form of interference. My co-workers and I are eager for a speedy resolution to our union election, so that as soon as possible, we may begin bargaining a contract that will benefit hospital workers, management, our community and most importantly, our patients.”
An August 9th letter from Enloe Medical Center to their employees suggested the following: “To speed (the results of the union election) up for all units and honor the will of the employees, the union should withdraw its objections . . . and agree with Enloe to hold new elections . . .” Enloe workers responded in turn by today delivering the letter agreeing to management’s offer and asking that 3 elections be re-run fairly under a neutrality agreement in the business office clerical, technical and service units. Enloe health care workers have asked for a reply from management by Thursday, August 19th.
With over 95,000 members, SEIU 250 is the largest and fastest growing health care union in the Western U.S. We represent every type of health care worker, including nursing, professional, technical, paramedic and service classifications. Our mission is to achieve high quality health care for all.
SEIU 250
CONTACT: Kathleen Miller of SEIU 250, +1-510-773-7102
Web site: http://www.seiu250.org/
