Seattle Press on Line - NW Hospital Workers Vote for Union

NW Hospital Workers Vote for Union

Jan 11, 2001 -- About 755 workers at Northwest Hospital voted to join District 1199 NW of the Service Employees International Union in an election January 4 and 5. The vote, conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, culminated the largest successful union organizing drive in the private sector in the state in the last four years.

Bonnie May Cooper, a grill cook, said, "We felt we couldn't talk to our supervisors and management wouldn't listen to us. It was time for management to stand up and be accountable."

Deanna Swenson, a single mom with two kids at home who works as a housekeeper at the hospital, said, "Mainly we need to have a voice. Having a union is the best way to make sure our focus is on patients, not on the bottom line."

The workers include social workers, dietary, maintenance, housekeeping staff, respiratory therapists, certified nursing assistants, licensed professional nurses and others.

Professional employees voted for the union 72-46; service and maintenance voted 339-146 for the union and technical employees voted against the union 21-48.

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