Second Victory at Henry Mayo
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Hospital Food,
Housekeeping
Staff Choose UE
SANTA CLARITA, Calif.
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UE’s newest members are employees of the
subcontractor that provides Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital with
housekeeping, food and linen services.
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Employees of the for-profit subcontractor providing Henry Mayo Newhall
Memorial Hospital with housekeeping, food and linen services voted by a
two-to-one margin to join UE on April 21, less than two months after some 500
hospital employees chose UE representation.
Integrated Support Solutions Inc. (ISSI) employees voted 44 to 22
for UE in an
election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.
The workers who feed Henry Mayo patients and clean the hospital’s rooms
cited low wages, irregular raises, unaffordable health insurance,
under-staffing and lack of training as their reasons to organize. In addition,
they are seeking recognition of their years of service, and greater job
security.
'WE WANT BETTER TREATMENT; FAIR WAGE'
"We have fought hard for our union, and now that we have it things
will have to change," says Maria Lopez, a housekeeper. "We
want better treatment and a fair wage. Those of us with years of service
shouldn’t be making less than new hires!"
ISSI management fiercely opposed the organizing campaign, and hired a
unionbuster. The largely Latino workforce rejected the attacks on the union.
Management’s captive-audience meetings nearly turned into debates as
rank-and-file leaders challenged the company line.
Hiring in recent weeks puts the ISSI workforce at 85 workers. They join the
vocational nursing staff, technicians in Radiology, Lab and Respiratory,
clerks and support staff — roughly half the hospital’s total workforce —
who voted to be represented by UE on Feb. 23-24. Two hundred and fifty
registered nurses chose to join the California Nurses Association last August,
initiating the union movement at Henry Mayo.
'VOICES FINALLY HEARD'
"I’m really glad we won, this is just the start of the teamwork
among all who serve Henry Mayo for a better hospital," says Joy Horner,
a Dietary Tech. "Now we can get the respect we deserve and our voices
will finally be heard and counted!"
The latest UE members have held interim elections and are preparing for
negotiations.
The ISSI workers were assisted by International Representatives Fernando
Losada and Terry Davis and Field Organizers Miguel Canales, Leah
Fried, and Carol Igoe.
UE News - 05/00
