Religious Leaders Call on St. Joseph Health System to Agree to Fair Union Election Ground Rules
SANTA ROSA, Calif., Mar. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Led by Monsignor John Brenkle of St. Helena Catholic Church, a delegation of religious leaders and laity from across Sonoma County will announce the formation of “North Bay Friends of St. Joseph Health System Workers.” The group is calling on the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, sponsors of the St. Joseph Health System, to agree to fair union election ground rules in advance of a secret-ballot union election at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
This action follows an open letter to the Sisters signed by 28 clergy and more than 400 laity on Feb. 18, in which they stated: “Conversations with some of your hospital leaders have made it clear that managers are conducting a concerted anti-union campaign to discourage caregivers from organizing their union.”
The delegation will attempt to meet with Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital CEO George Perez and discuss the hospital’s resistance to a fair election process proposed by Monsignor Brenkle last July, which would supplement the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) process.
Organizing efforts at Santa Rosa Memorial go back several years. In 2004, employees filed for a union election with the NLRB. Hospital management immediately launched an intense anti-union campaign based on intimidation and misinformation. This illegal and unethical behavior prompted workers to cancel the election in January 2005. That same year, Memorial reached a settlement with the NLRB to avoid prosecution for violating federal labor law. In July 2006, a majority of workers at Santa Rosa Memorial signed a petition supporting a union and demanding a fair election agreement.
“For over two years, the St. Joseph Health System has denied my co-workers and me the right to be at a table to negotiate ground rules for a free and fair election process,” said Mike Hopper, an anesthesia technician at the hospital. “We are deeply grateful to the religious leaders who are standing with us today and joining us in our struggle.”
CONTACT: Adam Reich 401-578-9170 adamreich@berkeley.edu
SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West
CONTACT: Adam Reich, +1-401-578-9170, or adamreich@berkeley.edu
Web site: http://www.seiu-uhw.org/