St. John’s Service, Technical Workers Vote to Join SEIU

Service and technical workers from St. John's hospitals in Oxnard and Camarillo voted last week to join the Service Employees International Union, the Ventura County Star reports. Of the nearly 550 workers who participated in the election, 374 voted to join the union, according to Steve Trossman, a spokesperson for the SEIU. The Star reports that two representatives from the Ventura County hospitals, which are owned by Catholic Healthcare West, will soon join statewide contract negotiations. The representatives also will meet with local hospital officials "to discuss issues that won't be negotiated at the state meetings," Trossman said. "[The workers] are standing together and trying to negotiate a contract that improves patient care and their jobs," he added. In March, nurses from both hospitals -- St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo and St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard -- voted to join the SEIU (Ventura County Star, 12/11).