SEIU picketing St. Rose Dominican hospitals

By Megan McCloskey

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 | 5:24 p.m.

In what might be an effort to tip the balance of power leading up to the next bargaining session, the Service Employees International Union said it is picketing St. Rose Dominican hospitals this evening.

The union and St. Rose Dominican have been negotiating a new contract for nurses and other hospital workers since February. They go back to the table to give it another go on Tuesday.

The union has the support of at least one local official. Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani called out St. Rose Dominican in a statement, saying: “As the only faith-based hospital system in our community, we look to St. Rose to be more compassionate to the needs of their patients and the employees who care for them.”

A spokesman for St. Rose Dominican said the hospital is looking forward to forging an agreement that meets “mutual objectives.”

This latest publicity move by SEIU also comes as the union is fighting off a take-over attempt by another union, the California Nurses Association.