Kindred workers vote to join NUHW
More than two dozen occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech pathologists voted unanimously on Jan. 7 to join NUHW.
These workers are employed by Kindred, but provide care at Dominican Hospital’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Center in Santa Cruz. They join more than 100 NUHW members at Dominican.
“As someone born and raised in this community, I have a deep loyalty and desire to serve the people of Santa Cruz County,” said Elizabeth Brown, a physical therapist. “By voting yes to NUHW, I knew that I was really saying yes to better working conditions, a sustainable living, and ultimately the ability to provide better patient care.”
Now that the vote is over, caregivers are selecting a bargaining team and voting on their top priorities to win in upcoming contract negotiations.
“I voted yes for NUHW so that I can afford to pursue a long-term career at Dominican Rehab,” said Laura Ostermann, a speech language pathologist. “We have a lot of important goals to accomplish in our contract and we’re eager for bargaining to begin.”