Group wants to unionize nurses at Las Vegas hospital

Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005 | 11:41 a.m.

The Service Employees International Union Local 1107 has filed an election petition with the Las Vegas office of the National Labor Relations Board to unionize 205 nurses at Spring Valley Hospital.

Spring Valley Hospital is owned by King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services Inc.

If the union is successful in organizing the nurses at Spring Valley, it will be the third of the company's hospitals in the Las Vegas Valley to unionize its nurses. The union already represents a combined 900 nurses at Universal's Valley and Desert Springs hospitals, but not at its Summerlin Hospital.

Karla Perez, chief executive and managing director of Spring Valley Hospital, said in a press release the company will respect the nurses right to organize, but that the company prefers to deal directly with the workers.

Jane McAlevey, executive director of SEIU Local 1107, said: "Nurses throughout the valley realize that the only way to achieve real improvements in staffing conditions in the hospital is by joining up together and speaking with one voice."

She said seven out of 10 nurses in the Las Vegas Valley are members of SEIU.

A date for the election hasn't been set.