Healthcare workers at Allina-owned Owatonna Hospital voted overwhelmingly (53-34) to become members of SEIU Local 113.
The April 13 vote covers almost 100 workers including nursing assistants, housekeepers, dietary aides, schedulers and medical technicians.
Owatonna Hospital is the second major Allina Hospital to join SEIU Local 113 in the last six months. Allina-owned St. Francis Medical Center in Shakopee voted to join SEIU Local 113 in September of 2004. It is the second health care facility in Owatonna to join SEIU Local 113 along with Infinia of Owatonna nursing home, which recently negotiated a first contract.
According to surgical tech Adam Strand, workers wanted a union to insure respect. "We are what makes the hospital run," Strand said. "It's time we had a say in how things run at the hospital. Everyone at the hospital deserves to be treated with dignity and to have a voice for respect."
Many of the healthcare workers were worried that rising health care costs would leave them unable to afford the care they provide. According to rehab scheduler Kathy Jacobson, "I worried about being able to afford the rising cost of health care. With a union we can get our wages and benefits guaranteed in a legally binding contract, which gives me a chance to have some control over what happens."
Workers seeking to join SEIU Local 113 received a strong boost from the example and support of the unionized R.N.s and L.P.N.s of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) at Owatonna Hospital. According to patient registrar Bonnie Bromley, "as a former MNA member, I saw that having a union allowed the nurses to get the holiday pay and other bonus pay we deserve. While we were organizing they had a cake day to show their support. Now we can work together with MNA and Allina to provide quality jobs for the Owatonna community."
For more information
Visit the Local 113 website, www.seiu113.org
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Healthcare workers at Allina-owned Owatonna Hospital voted overwhelmingly (53-34) to become members of SEIU Local 113.
The April 13 vote covers almost 100 workers including nursing assistants, housekeepers, dietary aides, schedulers and medical technicians.
Owatonna Hospital is the second major Allina Hospital to join SEIU Local 113 in the last six months. Allina-owned St. Francis Medical Center in Shakopee voted to join SEIU Local 113 in September of 2004. It is the second health care facility in Owatonna to join SEIU Local 113 along with Infinia of Owatonna nursing home, which recently negotiated a first contract.
According to surgical tech Adam Strand, workers wanted a union to insure respect. “We are what makes the hospital run,” Strand said. “It’s time we had a say in how things run at the hospital. Everyone at the hospital deserves to be treated with dignity and to have a voice for respect.”
Many of the healthcare workers were worried that rising health care costs would leave them unable to afford the care they provide. According to rehab scheduler Kathy Jacobson, “I worried about being able to afford the rising cost of health care. With a union we can get our wages and benefits guaranteed in a legally binding contract, which gives me a chance to have some control over what happens.”
Workers seeking to join SEIU Local 113 received a strong boost from the example and support of the unionized R.N.s and L.P.N.s of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) at Owatonna Hospital. According to patient registrar Bonnie Bromley, “as a former MNA member, I saw that having a union allowed the nurses to get the holiday pay and other bonus pay we deserve. While we were organizing they had a cake day to show their support. Now we can work together with MNA and Allina to provide quality jobs for the Owatonna community.”
For more information
Visit the Local 113 website, www.seiu113.org