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University of California Health Care Professionals Vote for CWA Representation
Health care professionals at the five medical centers of the University of California voted by a two-to-one margin to join the Communications Workers of America.
The unit of 2,000 medical professionals is the third unit of professional and technical employees at the university system to vote for representation by the University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119, bringing to 10,000 the number of UC employees represented by CWA. Last year, some 3,800 research professionals voted to join CWA; another unit of 4,000 technical employees also voted for CWA representation in 1995.
Another unit of 8,000 UC employees already has indicated support for UPTE-CWA and a drive for representation among these administrative and office worker professionals will be underway.
The vote among medical center employees, conducted by mail ballot, was 680-354.
The 2,000 health care employees provide patient care and services at the university's five teaching hospitals, located in San Francisco, Davis, San Diego, Los Angeles and Irvine. They are employed as clinical lab technologists, pharmacists, nuclear medicine technicians, psychologists and clinical social workers and in other professions.
Jelger Kalmijn, president of UPTE-CWA Local 9119, said the medical center employees were most concerned about the university's attempts to restructure and "de-skill" their work. Employees felt victimized by the constant changes in the workplace and wanted a voice in the decisions that affect them and their patients, he said.
CWA President Morton Bahr has called organizing among technical and professional employees one of the labor movement's biggest tests. "I am convinced that history will judge whether the labor movement's renewed emphasis on organizing was successful by measuring our success in organizing technical, professional and other workers in the information sector and other growing areas," he said.
CWA is the nation's fastest growing union, representing professional and technical employees in the converging communications and information fields, as well as in health care, the public sector, education and law enforcement.
The University of California election brings to 9,000 the number of new CWA members organized so far in 1997 in some 70 representation elections. A CWA campaign underway right now among some 9,000 US Airways passenger service agents is the labor movement's biggest organizing drive of the year. Election ballots will be counted on Sept. 29.
The unit of 2,000 medical professionals is the third unit of professional and technical employees at the university system to vote for representation by the University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119, bringing to 10,000 the number of UC employees represented by CWA. Last year, some 3,800 research professionals voted to join CWA; another unit of 4,000 technical employees also voted for CWA representation in 1995.
Another unit of 8,000 UC employees already has indicated support for UPTE-CWA and a drive for representation among these administrative and office worker professionals will be underway.
The vote among medical center employees, conducted by mail ballot, was 680-354.
The 2,000 health care employees provide patient care and services at the university's five teaching hospitals, located in San Francisco, Davis, San Diego, Los Angeles and Irvine. They are employed as clinical lab technologists, pharmacists, nuclear medicine technicians, psychologists and clinical social workers and in other professions.
Jelger Kalmijn, president of UPTE-CWA Local 9119, said the medical center employees were most concerned about the university's attempts to restructure and "de-skill" their work. Employees felt victimized by the constant changes in the workplace and wanted a voice in the decisions that affect them and their patients, he said.
CWA President Morton Bahr has called organizing among technical and professional employees one of the labor movement's biggest tests. "I am convinced that history will judge whether the labor movement's renewed emphasis on organizing was successful by measuring our success in organizing technical, professional and other workers in the information sector and other growing areas," he said.
CWA is the nation's fastest growing union, representing professional and technical employees in the converging communications and information fields, as well as in health care, the public sector, education and law enforcement.
The University of California election brings to 9,000 the number of new CWA members organized so far in 1997 in some 70 representation elections. A CWA campaign underway right now among some 9,000 US Airways passenger service agents is the labor movement's biggest organizing drive of the year. Election ballots will be counted on Sept. 29.