CALIFORNIA: PERB SEEKS TO BLOCK UC-STANFORD HOSPITAL MERGER

      The state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) "has
 filed a complaint against the University of California (UC)
 regents aimed at blocking the merger of the UC-San Francisco
 Medical Center [UCSF] with Stanford Medical Center."  SAN
 FRANCISCO EXAMINER reports that the "complaining parties are four
 unions" which represent about 4,000 UCSF workers who oppose the
 merger "because they believe it will costs jobs."  Rick
 Malaspina, UC spokesperson, called the move "premature" because
 no final vote on the merger has been taken, but said that the
 proposed merger does not violate labor laws.
        DETAILS:  EXAMINER reports that the regents voted in July
 to approve the merger and "created a governing structure that put
 all of the hospital's assets into the hands of a private
 corporation."  The corporation, NEWCO, will consist of a 17-
 member board, "of which six members will be regents."  The
 regents were supposed to vote on the merger in September,
 however, the vote has been delayed until October because of
 employee objections.  
      UNPOPULAR MOVE:  The PERB complaint is the second made by
 UCSF unions "in their effort to block the merger."  Unions have
 already filed a complaint in San Francisco Superior Court,
 "seeking to compel disclosure of the business plans for NEWCO." 
 A hearing on that complaint is scheduled for Thursday.  James
 Eggleston, an attorney representing the unions, said, "Our
 principal concern is that this was done largely in secret,
 without public understanding.  It's perhaps the most significant
 policy decision the regents will make in 50 years (and) could be
 the beginning of the privatization of the entire UC system."  The
 regents have said that most of the workers who will be affected
 by the merger will be hired back by NEWCO.  However, Libby Sayre,
 a business agent for Local 9119 of the University Professional
 and Technical Workers, said that the rehiring will not be
 automatic "and that workers won't have the contracts and the job
 security and benefits package they now have" (Brazil, 9/21).