DETROIT, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 8, 2004, Stephen M. Glasser, Regional Director of Region 7 of the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against Battle Creek Health Systems alleging serious violations of the rights of its employees. According to the complaint, its agent, John Fear reimbursed Nancy Fleming for the costs of supplies in running a decertification campaign, promised her payment for time spent on the campaign, permitted her to circulate the decertification petition on the employer’s time, attempted to discourage Angelia Mendez from filing a grievance concerning her discharge and approved tape recording of union meetings by some hospital employees.
In addition, Mr. Glasser’s complaint alleged that the hospital provided a bulletin board to Nancy Fleming to help her in the decertification campaign.
The National Labor Relations Board received charges about these illegal activities on February 12 and March 9, 2004. The Board assigned an agent to conduct a thorough impartial investigation to determine whether or not the union’s charges had merit. An opportunity for the hospital to respond to the charges was provided. It was only after this investigation by this agency of the United Sates Government that the complaint was issued.
Willie Hampton, SEIU Local 79 President noted that on October 10, 2002, when the union also filed charges, their spokesperson Peter Phelps poo pood them. And, recently, when the hospital was accused of involvement in tape recording union meetings, a hospital spokesperson responded that the accusations were totally false and smacked of union desperation.
Marge Robinson, Financial Secretary of Local 79 who successfully led the union’s opposition to the decertification campaign, said that it was a shame that the hospital permitted John Fear and Nancy Fleming, his friend, to engage in these allegedly illegal actions to interfere in the rights of the employees of the hospital to organize and support a union of their choice. “But even the high and mighty John Fear has to respond to the law. I can only hope that the hospital will take appropriate steps to prevent Mr. Fear from continuing his anti-union crusade,” Robinson concluded.
A trial on the NLRB complaint will be held before an Administrative Judge on June 16, 2004 at 10 a.m. in the Grand Rapids Resident Office, 82 Ionia, N. W., Room 3000 in the David L. Basso Hearing Room. Hearings of this type are open to the public.
SEIU Local 79
CONTACT: Bruce A. Miller of Miller Cohen, P.L.C., +1-313-964-4454, forSEIU Local 79
