Arroyo Grande Hospital Caregivers Vote to Join 14,000 Dignity Health Workers Already United in SEIU-UHW
SEIU-United Healthcare Workers WestCarlyn Foster, 510-541-0931
Healthcare workers at Dignity Health’s Arroyo Grande Community Hospital voted to unite in SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West () on Tuesday to improve care, health and jobs in the Arroyo Grande and Central Coast communities.
“We are excited about joining a union that is thinking beyond the walls of our hospital and has made a real commitment to making California healthier,” said Deborah Turk, a Patient Access Representative. “At work and in our communities, we have an opportunity in SEIU-UHW to fulfill our mission as healthcare workers by improving our lives and the lives of the people we serve.”
Workers at the facility will be covered in part by an SEIU-UHW contract overwhelmingly approved this spring by more than 14,000 other Dignity Health employees. The contract contains unique provisions to promote better health among Dignity employees as a way of lowering costs and modeling healthy lifestyles to the public. Arroyo Grande workers will negotiate locally with the hospital on issues such as health insurance and wages.
The current contract provisions on improving health for employees are part of SEIU-UHW’s initiative, and they fulfill a goal members expressed from the beginning of contract negotiations in November of 2011. It also includes a Joint Health and Wellness Committee to work on improving the health and well-being of employees and their families, improving workplace health and safety, and enhancing effectiveness and productivity.
SEIU-UHW launched its statewide initiative earlier this year. It is the centerpiece of a commitment by SEIU-UHW members to help workers and people in their communities get healthier to lower costs and improve quality of life. As part of the effort, SEIU-UHW members:
SEIU-UHW now has more than 14,000 members at 32 Dignity Health facilities statewide. The healthcare providers at Arroyo Grande who joined SEIU-UHW include Certified Nurse Assistants and Phlebotomists, along with Admitting, housekeeping and dietary employees, among others. The employees voted 60 yes to 29 no to form a union.