LOCAL 34 UNITE HERE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE VOTES TO PRIORITIZE PROTECTING 986 CLINICAL JOBS FROM YALE-NEW HAVEN HOSPITAL THREAT

The Organizing Committee of Local 34 UNITE HERE voted on December 9 to prioritize securing the 986 clinical jobs held by union members in the medical area. As the non-union Yale-New Haven Hospital continues to expand, clinical jobs in Local 34 are increasingly under threat of becoming non-union.

“In my department I work alongside hospital workers who get paid way less than we do, with worse benefits and no rights to fight back when they’re disrespected on the job,” said Local 34 Recording Secretary Lisa Stevens, a Medical Assistant at Smilow Cancer Center, “we will fight tooth and nail to keep our jobs in the union.”

The language approved by the Local 34 Organizing Committee said, “There is a threat to 986 Local 34 clinical jobs and a loss of over 130 Local 34 central areas positions that threaten our standard. Whereas, we will not be able to grow our wages and benefits into the future unless we deal with the fact that we are shrinking now; Therefore, we vote to begin our upcoming contract negotiations by bargaining for a written agreement to secure our 986 clinical jobs.”

“This summer, clerical and technical workers in my department were told that their jobs were going to be subcontracted to an outside company,” said Local 34 Vice President for the Medical Area Yolanda Giordano, “We’re fighting back, but we need a written agreement to make sure our jobs are secure across the medical school.”
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“Our union has fought for over three decades to make our jobs into good jobs,” said Local 34 Chief Steward Barbara Vereen, “Now our standard is under threat and we need to protect what we’ve built before we can move forward.”