Hospital union may strike
Published 12:00 am Thursday, January 18, 2001
Maintenance workers, nursing assistants and housekeeping employees at the Albert Lea Medical Center authorized union negotiators to call a strike if new contracts cannot be agreed upon with hospital management.
Thursday, January 18, 2001
Maintenance workers, nursing assistants and housekeeping employees at the Albert Lea Medical Center authorized union negotiators to call a strike if new contracts cannot be agreed upon with hospital management.
The workers – members of Hotel, Hospital, Restaurant and Tavern Employees Union Local 21 – voted Monday to reject management’s latest offer in the seven-month negotiation, due to wage and health care concerns.
&uot;Of all of it, the health care issue is the biggest sticking point,&uot; said Dave Blanchard, Business Manager for Local 21.
&uot;Right now, we’ve got the worst paid people in the hospital paying the most for benefits,&uot; he said. &uot;We don’t feel that’s right.&uot;
Two contracts are affected: One that covers the maintenance workers and one for nursing assistants, escorts, dietary workers and housekeeping employees.
About 100 maintenance workers are covered under a general contract, and are working under an extension of the agreement that expired Sept. 30, 2000. A mediator from the Federal Mediation and Counseling Bureau has been assisting in the negotiations since October.
Local 21 has not issued a required 10-day notice of intent to strike.
The union and ALMC management representatives will meet again in hopes of averting a strike, Blanchard said.
&uot;We’re looking at meeting at the end of January, sitting down and working out differences,&uot; he said.