Yes, We Want a Union!

Laurelhurst Workers Affirm Their Choice and How!

Workers at the Laurelhurst Village nursing home in southeast Portland have resumed bargaining for their first contract after emphatically affirming their decision to join SEIU Local 503. The workers voted 76-23 for a union in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board Feb 16.

The resounding vote came nearly three months after a majority of the 144 workers signed union authorization cards following a contentious 8-month struggle for unionization. A group of employees subsequently petitioned for an election pursuant to NLRB guidelines, left most workers exultant.

“I feel my voice has been heard,” said Crystal Manning, a member of the bargaining committee who works in floor care.

Negotiations, which had flagged in the weeks before the vote, resumed with new impetus the very next morning.

“Tomorrow we are back negotiating for change!” said CNA Liza-Marie Blanco, another committee member.

“I’m so excited,” said another bargainer, Rudy Malana, a member of the dietary staff who has worked for unionization from the outset. ”It is finally done. Now let’s get a contract.”