Service Workers at Stanford, Lucile Salter Packard Hospitals To Vote on New Contract
Hospital workers at Stanford University and Lucile Salter Packard hospitals today will vote on a new contract agreement, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The new contract includes "substantial improvements" to a previous contract proposal in the areas of subcontracts and would establish a patient care committee to help with staff issues, according to Isobel White, a spokesperson for Service Employees International Union Local 715, which represents the workers. The 1,400 workers, which include nursing assistants, laboratory technicians and housekeepers, held a one-day strike in November after they rejected the previous contract proposal. The previous contract would have provided a 21% pay increase over three years and would have established an advisory committee to allow to workers to participate in staff decisions (San Jose Mercury News, 12/19). The workers have asked that the committee have equal numbers of workers and managers and have requested the right to third party arbitration to settle committee disputes. The workers also have sought improved wages and the use of fewer nonunion workers at the hospitals (California Healthline, 11/14). Union negotiators unanimously recommended the new contract proposal, White said (San Jose Mercury News, 12/19).
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