A recent settlement agreement approved by the National Labor Relations Board paves the way for registered nurses to hold a new union election at Pasadena, Calif.-based Huntington Hospital.
The settlement agreement stems from charges the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United filed against Huntington Hospital in late 2016, according to a union news release. At the time, the CNA accused hospital supervisors of violating federal labor law by interrogating nurses about their union support and activity, the union said. A settlement has now been reached regarding those charges.
Under the agreement, Huntington Hospital is required to post a notice outlining the RNs federal labor rights for 60 consecutive days throughout the facility, the news release states. The CNA said hospital officials must also send a copy of the settlement agreement via email to all Huntington Hospital RNs.
Huntington Hospital RNs first began unionization efforts in 2014, and the nurses' last attempted election was in April 2015. The union said the hospital agreed to set aside the 2015 election results rejecting union representation as part of a separate settlement agreement reached last year.
Huntington Hospital said in a statement that the newest settlement is in the organization's "best interest and will allow the Huntington Hospital community to return its undivided attention to providing excellent and compassionate patient care."
"We have the best nurses in the world and we continue to respect all of their rights, including their right to be represented by a union, should they so choose. We firmly believe that April 2015's election rejecting union representation was lawful and proper and our preference was to have the original election result certified. However, in the interest of reaching a fast, efficient and final resolution to this issue, we reached an agreement with the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United and the National Labor Relations Board to clear the way for a rerun election," the hospital added.
"On behalf of our caregivers, our patients and the communities we are privileged to serve, we will continue to move forward and constructively focus our energies and resources on our mission of healing."
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