More than 200 workers at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, R.I., are seeking to join Service Employees International Union 1199 New England, the Providence Journal reported Nov. 9.
SEIU 1199NE filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board on Nov. 3 and Nov. 5 for elections covering 235 workers. They include skilled maintenance workers such as electricians and plumbers, as well as certified nursing assistants, patient care technicians, dietary techs and phlebotomists.
Workers announced their decision to join the union Nov. 5, citing staffing and wage concerns.
“We are understaffed, constantly on call and struggling to keep the personnel this hospital needs,” Jesse Dion, a maintenance mechanic at the hospital, told the Journal.
Providence-based CharterCARE Health of Rhode Island, which owns Roger Williams, said employees will have the opportunity to vote.
“We respect the rights of all employees to choose union representation,” CharterCARE said in a statement shared with Becker’s.
The health system also noted that it recently reached a three-year agreement with United Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents more than 1,100 nurses and technical and professional staff across its hospitals.
“Our recent contract agreement with union members proves our commitment to providing fair wages and benefits to all staff,” CharterCARE said. “This is a significant commitment given that we are emerging from a difficult bankruptcy and focused on achieving financial stability through an ambitious turnaround plan.”
CharterCARE was formed in 2026 when the Centurion Foundation acquired Roger Williams and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence, R.I., from Prospect Medical Holdings.
Becker’s has reached out to United Nurses and Allied Professionals for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
