Employees of Four Sacramento-Area Hospitals Announce Plans to Join Union
Nearly 2,000 employees at four Catholic Healthcare West hospitals -- Mercy General and Methodist Hospital in Sacramento, Mercy Hospital in Folsom and Mercy San Juan Hospital in Carmichael -- announced yesterday that they plan to affiliate with Service Employees International Union Local 250. The employees include certified nursing assistants, dietary aides, lab assistants, office assistants, licensed vocational nurses, respiratory technicians, operating room technicians and radiology technicians. They will vote on whether to join the union Nov. 13 and Nov. 14 at each of the four hospitals. To join the union, a simple majority is needed among both service workers and technical employees. Irene Murray, an employee at Methodist, said the workers seek a union in order to "improve our jobs and maintain the high level of care we deliver to our patients" (SEIU Local 250 release, 10/18).
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