Attorney General Brown Backs Union Elections at Hospital Chain
On Wednesday, Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) spoke in favor of efforts to hold union elections at St. Joseph Health System's 14 hospitals in California and Texas, the Orange County Register reports.
Brown spoke at a rally in front of the hospital chain's administrative headquarters in Orange. United Healthcare Workers, the union seeking to represent St. Joseph workers, is holding rallies and other events all week intended to draw attention to their efforts.
Bill Murin, chief human resource officer of St. Joseph, said the hospital chain would support a union if workers voted to organize. Murin urged UHW organizers to file for an election once they have won the necessary support from St. Joseph employees.
UHW spokesperson Glenn Goldstein said the union has not filed for an election because of concerns about harassment of employees from management at St. Joseph (Fields, Orange County Register, 7/23).