A nearly yearlong unionization effort by security officers at Dignity Health facilities in California has received support from city and county lawmakers in San Francisco.
The 11-member Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution July 13 supporting the efforts of security officers at San Francisco-based Dignity Health to form their union in Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West.
About 500 security guards are involved in the effort, most of whom have already signed union authorization cards to join SEIU-UHW, union spokesperson Renée Saldaña told Becker's.
The union alleges the hospital is jeopardizing the safety of security guards by not having adequate PPE, failing to maintain safe staffing levels and not having adequate pandemic safety protocols. It also alleges Dignity Health is not addressing workplace violence, not highly regarding the well-being of security officers and refusing to recognize security officers' right to unionize.
"The security officers want to be recognized as members of SEIU-UHW in order to win higher safety standards, stronger protections against COVID-19 and workplace violence, more equitable treatment from management and job security protections," Ms. Saldaña said. "They feel that unionization is the only way for these security officers to achieve safety and equality, similar to the other 17,000 Dignity Health employees that form part of SEIU-UHW."
While the security officers seek unionization, SEIU-UHW already represents employees at facilities where Dignity Health security teams work, and the National Labor Relations Board does not certify unions for security officers if that union also has other members at the same facility, according to the union and Dignity Health.
The employer may voluntarily recognize security officers as union members or agree to allow security officers to hold a private unionization election.
"The purpose of this law is to ensure that in the event of a strike, the facility would not lose its staff and its security team at the same time," Scott Fuller, senior vice president of employee and labor relations at Dignity Health, said in a statement. "For hospitals, ensuring a safe patient care environment during a strike is already a challenge, and having to do so without the security team would be nearly impossible."
Regarding the union's claims, Mr. Fuller said Dignity Health said supporting employees is among its core values, and most of the more than 550 members of its security teams receive full benefits.
He also said each employee, including members on its security teams, has been offered appropriate PPE and safe working conditions that align with CDC, state and local guidance.
"We strongly disagree with SEIU-UHW's characterization of the working conditions for our security teams and are extremely disappointed to hear some of these inflammatory claims being made as part of their unionization campaign. We always promptly review any safety concerns raised by those working at our care sites and take any action that may be appropriate," said Mr. Fuller.
Dignity Health is part of Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. SEIU-UHW is a union of more than 100,000 healthcare workers, patients and healthcare activists in California.