The National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint against University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, claiming the health system harassed and intimidated workers who were trying to unionize at several of its hospitals, according to a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review report.
The NLRB filed the latest complaint yesterday. It includes 19 charges against UPMC for unfair labor practices that stem from a complaint filed by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania in April. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 16 before an administrative law judge.
Service and maintenance workers at UPMC's hospitals in Pittsburgh and Shadyside, Pa., have been trying to gain union representation since 2012. The most recent NLRB complaint includes charges that managers at UPMC-Presbyterian in Pittsburgh threatened to arrest employees "as they were engaged in lawful union activities" and interrogated employees about their union "membership, activities and sympathies," according to the report.
The NLRB settled a separate complaint against UPMC in February, which contained similar allegations made by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, except that complaint contained 80 charges of unfair labor practices.
A UPMC spokesperson said the system will defend itself against the allegations, according to the report.
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