More than 1,120 healthcare workers at Pomona (Calif.) Valley Hospital Medical Center have voted to join SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, making it the largest hospital unionization in California in nearly 15 years, according to a San Gabriel Valley Tribune report.
Results of the Jan. 22 election were confirmed last Friday after the National Labor Relations Board rejected a prolonged vote challenge from hospital executives, the union said in a statement.
But the election results have not been finalized, according to the hospital.
"SEIU-UHW has not won the election," the hospital said, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. "The National Labor Relations Board has not certified the election results. It is premature for any party to proclaim victory. At this time, SEIU-UHW has not been declared the collective bargaining agent for our service and technical associates and the final outcome of the election has still not been determined."
According to the report, Pomona Valley said both parties may file exceptions to the National Labor Relations Board hearing officer's report on or before June 23. The hospital has not yet determined whether it will file an exception.
SEIU-UHW spokesman Sean Wherley told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that 531 hospital workers voted in favor of unionization while 458 voted against it. According to the report, the hospital challenged 218 of the votes and the National Labor Relations Board agreed that only 62 of those 218 votes should be counted. Still, Mr. Wherley noted to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that the final vote would still be in favor of unionization, even when those numbers are factored in.
With a finalized vote, licensed vocational nurses, pharmacy technicians, phlebotomists, physical therapy aides, radiology technologists, surgery technicians, ultrasound technologists, radiology support staff, admitting representatives, cooks and food service workers, customer care representatives, janitors and receptionists and secretaries would all become part of SEIU-UHW. More than 1,000 registered nurses at Pomona Valley are already members of another union, SEIU 121RN.
Pomona Valley employees who join the union would be able to help SEIU-UHW's campaign to fully fund Medi-Cal, the California Medicaid program, the union said. According to the union, Pomona Valley receives 39 percent of its revenue from Medi-Cal, but the program's long-term underfunding meant the hospital lost an estimated $60 million for treating Medi-Cal patients in 2013.
More than 3,300 hospital workers throughout California have joined SEIU-UHW since April 2015.
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