Labor Wars in Santa Rosa

Two-and-a-half years ago, I wrote in support of workers’ right to freely choose whether or not to unionize at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, part of the St. Joseph Health System (“Catholic Diocese disagrees with Memorial’s position on union,” Close to Home, May 11, 2007). As a Catholic priest experienced with labor law and unions, and as a close friend of Sister Katherine Gray — the leader of the religious order that sponsors St. Joseph — I saw firsthand the disconnect between the system’s pro-worker rhetoric and its anti-union practices. Thankfully, in response to workers’ ongoing efforts and our community’s persistent calls for justice, St. Joseph recently declared its willingness to negotiate ground rules for a National Labor Relations Board election — an important first step towards a just resolution.

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