The following is a roundup of recent events pertaining to hospital-union relationships, including strikes, legal battles, rallies and new contract agreements. All events were reported so far in 2017.
1. Unions ratify Yale labor deals
Unions representing service, maintenance, clerical and technical workers at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., have ratified new labor agreements, according to a New Haven Register report. Unite Here, which represents the workers, approved a five-year contract for 1,400 service and maintenance workers belonging to Local 35 and 3,600 clerical and technical workers in Local 34, according to the report.
2. Vermont LNAs demonstrate over staffing issues amid attempts to unionize
Licensed nursing assistants at University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington rallied to highlight their unionization efforts and advocate for better staffing, Burlington Free Press reports.
3. Providence Tarzana workers demonstrate over lost housekeeping jobs
Workers at Providence Tarzana (Calif.) Medical Center picketed to protest the hospital's decision to no longer contract out housekeeping work, reports Los Angeles Daily News. Providence Tarzana had contracted with Sodexo, but the hospital decided last October to create an internal environmental services department instead of continuing its outsourcing contract, according to a statement from the hospital.
4. Union nurses demonstrate over staffing issues at Tri-City Medical Center
Registered nurses at Oceanside, Calif.-based Tri-City Medical Center picketed over staffing issues, according to the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United.
5. Rhode Island Hospital employees picket updated policy aimed at eliminating 'excessive absenteeism'
Members of Providence-based Rhode Island Hospital's two unions picketed to challenge an updated attendance policy, reports Providence Journal. The updated policy, effective Jan. 1, applies to all employees at Providence-based health system Lifespan, of which the hospital is a part. The policy is intended to eliminate "excessive absenteeism," Lifespan said in a statement.
6. UC Davis employees demonstrate over wages near main campus and medical center
Approximately 80 people, comprised of University of California employees and union officials, demonstrated near UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and the UC Davis main campus in Yolo County, reports The Sacramento Bee. The workers, represented by Teamsters Local 2010, include administrative assistants, preschool teachers, police dispatchers, collections employees and library assistants, according to the article.
7. Baystate nurses plan to picket as staffing disputes gum up contract talks
Nurses at Baystate Health's Noble Hospital in Westfield, Mass., planned a picket over contract negotiations, according to a Boston Business Journal report. The workers, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, have been in contract negotiations with management since February 2016.
8. Administrative and clerical workers strike near UC San Diego campuses
Administrative and clerical workers represented by Teamsters Local 2010 went on strike near UC San Diego hospitals in Hillcrest and La Jolla, reports The San Diego Union-Tribune. The strike is part of a systemwide work stoppage for the University of California.
9. Alhambra Hospital RNs vote to unionize
Registered nurses at Alhambra (Calif.) Hospital Medical Center voted to join the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, the CNA announced. The union said the vote was 60 for CNA to 52 for the hospital administration in a secret ballot vote conducted by the National Labor Relations Board. At the time, the CNA noted that a number of challenged ballots remain to be resolved by the NLRB.
10. University of Iowa workers sign letters calling for more pay, better staffing
The Service Employees International Union Local 199 is calling for better pay and improved staffing at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, reports The Gazette. The union, which represents thousands of employees at UIHC, including nurses, is currently negotiating a labor contract. Earlier this month, union members delivered about 400 letters to the office of UIHC CEO Ken Kates, demanding better working conditions, according to the report.
11. Nurses at Westchester Medical Center ratify new contract
After years of negotiations, registered nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association ratified a new contract with Valhalla, N.Y.-based Westchester Medical Center. The 11-year agreement, effective April 1, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2021, resolves issues regarding salaries and benefits.
12. Nurses file NLRB complaint against Alhambra Hospital for allegedly interfering with unionization efforts
The California Nurses Association filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Alhambra (Calif.) Hospital Medical Center, claiming the hospital has infringed upon the rights of registered nurses to conduct a fair union election, according to a union announcement.
13. Nurses protest staffing issues amid Pocono-Lehigh merger
Nurses at East Stroudsburg, Pa.-based Pocono Medical Center and representatives of the healthcare union Jneso, which represents professional healthcare workers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, protested against layoffs and staffing changes, according to a Pocono Record report. The protest took place on the same day East Stroudsburg-based Pocono Health System celebrated its merger with Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network.
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