A union representing workers at El Camino Hospital in Mountainview, Calif., has filed a complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board, claiming hospital administrators intentionally delayed the counting of election votes to decertify the union, according to a San Jose Mercury News report.
Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West filed the complaint last Friday, which claims El Camino Hospital human resources director Charlene Gliniecki and human resources manager Mary Gaines threatened and intimidated agents of the State Mediation & Conciliation Service, which was tasked with running the election. The union claims they manipulated the election process to prevent employees from keeping SEIU-UHW.
Ms. Gliniecki and Ms. Gaines allegedly “bullied” an SMCS mediator until he agreed to not tally the ballots. Instead, he explained he would “take the ballots home and keep them safe,” according to the complaint as cited in the report. The complaint also says it remains unclear when the ballots will be counted or if they will be counted at all.
A hospital spokesperson could not be reached at the time of the news report’s publication.
Related Articles on Hospitals and Unions:
NLRB Claims Steward Unlawfully Fired Nurse for Union Organizing
Employees at California’s El Camino Hospital May Decertify Union
NLRB Issues Final Rule on Union Elections; Chamber of Commerce, Coalition File Lawsuit
At Becker's 4th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, taking place November 2–5 in Chicago, more than 1,500 hospital and health system executives tackle decisions that determine whether organizations thrive or merely survive: protecting margins under cost pressure, choosing where to grow, renegotiating payer relationships, stabilizing the workforce and proving real ROI on technology. This is where leaders work through them together, face-to-face. Apply for complimentary registration now.
