Initial ballot counts show that union workers at Saint Louise
Regional Hospital voted 96 to 72 to reject the National Union of
Healthcare Workers in favor of the Service Employees International
Union
–United Healthcare Workers West.
Initial ballot counts show that union workers at Saint Louise Regional Hospital voted 96 to 72 to reject the National Union of Healthcare Workers in favor of the Service Employees International Union–United Healthcare Workers West.
“Finally, we can move on from this NUHW distraction and get back to taking care of patients and building a better future,” said Jaime Avelar, a food service assistant at Saint Louise Regional Hospital.
However, the outcome of the elections is not final and the labor board could throw out the election entirely, according to Sadie Crabtree, a NUHW spokeswoman.
“It’s not a done deal,” Crabtree said.
NUHW members said the election was not valid and fair.
“Management did everything they could to keep SEIU at Saint Louise, and they broke the law,” said Susan Reddell, a respiratory therapist at Saint Louise. “The government is investigating whether to throw out the election, and we’re hopeful that we’ll get a new, fair election. This is a decision that should be made by the union members at Saint Louise, not by management.”
