Workers at Richfield Health Center voted 36-23 last Friday to reject representation by Local 113 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
"Management did a lot of things at the last minute that we are investigating," said Kathy Anderson, organizing director for SEIU Local 113. "We're not sure if we're going to file charges (with the National Labor Relations Board) or not.
"The current NLRB process hurts workers and is good for companies and allows them to do things they do," Anderson said.
She said the Employee Free Choice Act, currently before the U.S. Congress, would give workers a better chance to choose unions. The Employee Free Choice Act would do away with the current NLRB contested election process and instead recognize a union when a majority of workers at a worksite sign a union card.
In the case of Richfield Health Center, owned by Extendicare, "Extendicare was creating an environment that makes people scared to be public with their support" for the union organizing effort, Anderson said.
"We knew the election was close," Anderson said. "It ultimately wasn't a fair process."
Extendicare operates care facilities in 12 states in the U.S. and in four provinces in Canada.
"They have huge turnover in their facilities," Anderson noted. "We have less turnover in our unionized facilities." High turnover, she added, not only brings increased costs for the employer but also hurts patient care.
Despite losing the June 10 vote, "we're not going to walk away from the workers whether we file charges or not," Anderson said.
If the NLRB does substantiate charges of unfair management practices in the election and orders a new election, the new vote will be scheduled quickly, Anderson said.
Otherwise, a union needs to wait one year after losing a NLRB election until petitioning for a new vote.
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Workers at Richfield Health Center voted 36-23 last Friday to reject representation by Local 113 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
“Management did a lot of things at the last minute that we are investigating,” said Kathy Anderson, organizing director for SEIU Local 113. “We’re not sure if we’re going to file charges (with the National Labor Relations Board) or not.
“The current NLRB process hurts workers and is good for companies and allows them to do things they do,” Anderson said.
She said the Employee Free Choice Act, currently before the U.S. Congress, would give workers a better chance to choose unions. The Employee Free Choice Act would do away with the current NLRB contested election process and instead recognize a union when a majority of workers at a worksite sign a union card.
In the case of Richfield Health Center, owned by Extendicare, “Extendicare was creating an environment that makes people scared to be public with their support” for the union organizing effort, Anderson said.
“We knew the election was close,” Anderson said. “It ultimately wasn’t a fair process.”
Extendicare operates care facilities in 12 states in the U.S. and in four provinces in Canada.
“They have huge turnover in their facilities,” Anderson noted. “We have less turnover in our unionized facilities.” High turnover, she added, not only brings increased costs for the employer but also hurts patient care.
Despite losing the June 10 vote, “we’re not going to walk away from the workers whether we file charges or not,” Anderson said.
If the NLRB does substantiate charges of unfair management practices in the election and orders a new election, the new vote will be scheduled quickly, Anderson said.
Otherwise, a union needs to wait one year after losing a NLRB election until petitioning for a new vote.