Hospital Charged with Multiple and Repeated Labor Violations

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a formal complaint for multiple and repeated labor violations against Huntington Memorial Hospital this week and has scheduled a trial to commence on June 6 in Los Angeles.

The trial announcement follows the NLRB’s Jan. 29 determination that the charges filed against HMH on behalf of nurses there had merit and that there was sufficient evidence to show that HMH had violated labor law. The NLRB is now moving forward with a trial in front of an Administrative Law Judge.

Huntington Memorial RNs began organizing to affiliate with CNA/NNU in May of 2014, after management rebuffed their attempts to engage them on patient care issues, including chronic short staffing, inadequate supplies and equipment and concerns about hygiene and sterilization practices at the hospital. Management responded with an illegal effort to thwart unionization. Despite being issued a formal NLRB complaint—citing seven instances of unlawful conduct—management continued its pattern of union-busting up through the RNs’ attempted election in April of 2015.

The NLRB's consolidated complaint against the Pasadena hospital, states that HMH violated nurses labor rights and engaged in conduct that prevented a free and fair election. Here is a partial list of the conduct that is cited in the complaint:

• Interrogating employees about their activities and sympathies in regard to the union organizing drive,
• Subjecting employees to surveillance,
• Restricting employees access to the hospital in numerous ways including prohibiting them from going to the hospital to participate in the union organizing campaign,
• Denying union representatives access to areas of the hospital open to the public,
• Terminating RNs Allysha Almada and Viki Lin in retaliation for their union support.

"Nurses at HMH deserve a fair election without an illegal campaign of fear and intimidation. Each of us needs to think critically about why the management committed these illegal acts, and why they continue to refuse to recognize our federally protected rights to speak up for our patients and ourselves," said Lisa McInnes, RN, OR. "We deserve fairness, truth, and the right to have a union so that we can make improvements to provide the quality care that our patients deserve."

The NLRB trial will include the terminations of RNs, Allysha Almada and Vicki Lin last summer. Almada was fired after speaking out publicly about deteriorating conditions at Huntington and playing a leadership role in the union organizing drive at the hospital. Almada has continued to speak out since she was terminated. Last October, she was invited to Washington D.C. to participate in the White House Summit on Worker Voice. While in DC, she met with the Secretary of Labor, the President of the AFL-CIO and numerous elected representatives. She also participated in a press conference with Sen. Bernie Sanders announcing introduction of the Workplace Democracy Act, a bill that would make it much easier for workers to form a union.

RN Allysha Almada speaking at a Washington DC press conference in October last year in support of the Workplace Democracy Act introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Mark Pocan.