St. Joseph Health System Caregivers Demand Foley & Lardner Stop Intimidation, and Waste of Valuable Patient Care...( St. Joseph Health System using hi...),Health

St. Joseph Health System using high-priced legal team to discourage union organization by Healthcare workers

LOS ANGELES, June 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hundreds of Healthcare workers from Los Angeles and Orange County will demonstrate in front of the law offices of Foley & Lardner, LLP on Thursday, June 12th to protest the firm's anti-union tactics on behalf of St. Joseph Health System (SJHS.) The caregivers are angered that the health system is wasting resources that should be directed toward improving patient care on efforts to fight employees' wishes to form a union.

The 10,000 caregivers, part of a statewide unionization effort involving employees at five SJHS hospitals, have been subjected to a sophisticated and illegal anti-union campaign throughout their four year long efforts. They will be joined at the demonstration by patient care advocates and hospital workers from throughout the Los Angeles area. The campaign which is now directed by Rick Albert, a partner at Foley-Lardner, who specializes in "union-avoidance", has featured managers spying on, harassing and intimidating workers who are known to be involved in the union effort, and has resulted in multiple violations of relevant labor law.

St. Joseph Health System, which has in the past been found liable for numerous Unfair Labor Practice violations by the National Labor Relations Board is currently under investigation for harassing and surveilling employees engaged in protected activity and continues to retaliate in other ways against workers engaged in the organizing drive. As dedicated caregivers, committed to our jobs and to our patients we are requesting that the St Joseph Health System agree to a free and fair union election agreement so that workers can make a decision regarding unionization without management interference.

What: Public demonstration against employee intimidation at St. Joseph Health System hospitals.

When: Thursday, June 12th 2008 '/>"/>