Dignity Health Medical Group-Dominican workers vote to unionize

Nov. 11--SANTA CRUZ -- Health care workers at Dignity Health Medical Group-Dominican practices in Santa Cruz County have voted to unionize for collective bargaining.

The vote affects 120 employees, including medical assistants, receptionists, registered nurses, physical therapists and social workers.

They will be represented by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, which represents 15,000 Dignity Health employees across the state including 583 at Dignity Dominican Hospital and 88 at Dominican Oaks, an assisted living complex, both in Santa Cruz.

Sean Wherley, spokesman for SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, said Dignity Health workers will help SEIU-UHW's campaign to boost payments for Medi-Cal state-funded health coverage for low-income people and qualify a statewide initiative for the November 2016 ballot to raise California's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021.

"Providing the best patient care is what matters most to us, and thankfully we now will have more say in the day-to-day decisions," said Abigail Welch, a medical assistant at Dignity Health in Santa Cruz.

A statement provided by Dignity Health Medical Foundation said, "Dignity Health respects our employees' decision and will work in good faith with SEIU union representatives to reach agreement on a contract covering the new local."

During a challenging economy three years ago, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West negotiated a four-year agreement for Dignity Health workers that the union said maintained fully paid family health care, strong pensions and job security.

Dignity Health said the contract had "step" wage increases during the first two years, an across-the-board increase in the second year, additional increases for employees whose wages were below market, followed by a reopener on wages, health insurance and retirement benefits.

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