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Workers vote at Providence Tarzana—but SEIU wants to bury the ballot box

Tarzana caregivers support their co-workers in EVS voting to join NUHW TAKE ACTION:Tell the NLRB tocount the votes EVS workers at Providence Tarzana are voting right now to join NUHW—but SEIU is having the ballots locked in a safe immediately after the election, to hide the result from workers and the public until the labor […]

SEIU blocks ballot count in workers’ first union election

Faced with third win in three weeks by independent union, SEIU officials try union-busting

Tarzana, Calif.—Environmental services workers at Providence Tarzana Medical Center are voting today in a government-supervised election to form their first union, despite a last-minute effort by SEIU to stop them. SEIU’s latest request to block the election was rejected by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) yesterday, but ballots will be held and not be counted until the board resolves a string of frivolous “blocking charges” that SEIU filed to delay the vote.

The 54 workers are employees of Crothall, a subcontractor at the hospital. A majority intend to join the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), an independent union founded by SEIU reformers that sparked a mass exodus from the troubled union.

North Bay Business Journal: Healthcare unions clash at Memorial Hospital

Memorial Hospital center of spat between SEIU, new group; election in balance

SANTA ROSA—With a six-year unionization effort at stake, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital has become a battlefield in a rivalry between national labor giant Service Employees International Union and a fledgling group of its former Northern California leaders.

In April, local hospital workers were on track to schedule a union election under a petition with the new group, the National Union of Healthcare Workers. But at the final hour, SEIU intervened and stalled proceedings.

The National Labor Relations Board granted SEIU’s request to also be on the ballot, but then the union’s officials twice filed complaints that further delayed the vote for five more months. During that time, SEIU organizers flocked to the Santa Rosa hospital to campaign, according to interviews with several workers.

Now, in a break with normal policy, a top regional labor official said last week that, despite the outstanding SEIU allegations, the federal agency intends to schedule an election following an Oct. 19 hearing.

KSRO’s “The Drive” hour dedicated to Santa Rosa Memorial workers

Click the play button to hear an hour-long segment on KSRO-AM’s drive-time show about the campaign by workers at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital to win a union with NUHW.  

Green 960 Labor Report: Labor Council asks SEIU not to obstruct workers joining NUHW

The North Bay Labor Council is now getting involved in the dispute over two labor unions. A letter was sent out to the trustees of SEIU-UHW asking them not to delay or obstruct efforts by workers at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital to form a union with the National Union of Healthcare Workers or NUHW.  Nancy […]