CNA Files Unfair Labor Practices Claim Against Palomar Pomerado Health System
The California Nurses Association yesterday filed an unfair labor practices claim against Palomar Pomerado Health, saying that the system is interfering with nurses' efforts to unionize, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. CNA officials say that the health system, which operates Palomar Medical Center in Escondido and Pomerado Hospital in Poway, has been "stalling the nurses' attempt" to schedule a vote on union representation and is now trying to "coerce and interfere with the exercise of employee rights" (San Diego Union-Tribune, 2/8). Nurses at the system have been requesting an election for months to decide whether a majority of the 600 nurses want to join the CNA. Their efforts became easier on Jan. 1, when AB 1281, which allows supporters to gather signatures of more than 50% of the unit to approve unionization, took effect (California Healthline, 2/5). But officials will not accept the results of a signature campaign, according to a memo Palomar Pomerado Health recently distributed to the nurses. The memo urges employees not to sign authorization cards because they will forego their right to a secret-ballot election (California Healthline, 2/7). Gil Taylor, vice president of human resources for PPH, said the union is "creating a ruckus" with the labor complaint and denied that PPH is trying to delay an election (San Diego Union-Tribune, 2/8).
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