December 16th, 2009
Catholic News Service: Santa Rosa election tests Catholic health care labor-management relations
A six-year-long union organizing campaign that has drawn national attention as a test of the ground rules for labor-management relations in Catholic health care has reached a milestone as workers at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital vote on whether or not to be represented by a union.
December 15th, 2009
Beyond Chron: 2009, Labor’s missed opportunity
Today, labor’s top legislative priorities remain unmet, and EFCA is in limbo. But there is an election this week at California’s Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital (SRMH) that could end labor’s year on a triumphant note. Over 600 workers vote on Thursday and Friday whether to join a union, with a victory potentially paving the way for the unionization of 9000 workers in the St. Joseph’s Health System chain. Management is aggressively opposing the union drive, as is SEIU, which is running a massive media and ground campaign against rival union, NUHW. SEIU’s support is so weak that it informed the NLRB last Thursday that it intended to pull out of the election, only to reverse course the next day so that it could continue its anti-union attacks through this week’s election.
December 14th, 2009
KPFA’s ‘Against the Grain’ talks with labor historian Cal Winslow about NUHW
Interview with labor historian Cal Winslow begins at 7:17 in the clip above. Source: KPFA
December 11th, 2009
Clergy and political leaders to monitor election campaign at Memorial Hospital
Fr. Ray Decker of Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice announces the Fair Election Oversight CommissionA group of prominent political leaders, scholars, and religious leaders have formed a commission to protect workers’ rights in the hotly contested Dec. 17 union vote at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. The 17-member Fair Election Oversight Commission includes Santa Rosa City […]
December 10th, 2009
Clergy and political leaders to monitor union election campaign at Memorial Hospital
Councilmember Jacobi and others will investigate workers’ reports of intimidation and deceptive campaigning
Santa Rosa, Calif.—A group of prominent political leaders, scholars, and religious leaders have formed a commission to protect workers’ rights in the hotly contested Dec. 17 union vote at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
“The reports we’ve been hearing from workers at the hospital are truly disturbing,” said Monsignor John Brenkle, pastor of St. Helena Catholic Church and a co-chair of the new Fair Election Oversight Commission.
“SEIU has prevented any ground rules from being set, and workers are facing a hostile atmosphere in what should be a place of healing and caring,” he said. “When there is behavior by the hospital or by a union that interferes with their right to choose freely, we want workers to be able to report that to an independent body.”