Our co-workers are reporting encounters with Union organizers and pro-union employees that involve less than appropriate conduct on the Union side. We are reporting them here as they are reported to us so that you will know how to handle such situations, should you find yourself in one.
It is very important that our co-workers report inappropriate incidents to Human Resources!
INCIDENT #3 - The SEIU organizers tell employees they must sign a sign-in sheet or union card to attend their on-campus events. Why? The organizers have told many employees that the union is either legally, or sometimes they say they are required by their agreement with Tenet to have everyone sign in so they can prove that managers have not attended. This is not true! They are under no such requirement. The organizers want you to sign in because they want your name. It is their requirement and only their requirement. Why are they misleading us?
INCIDENT #1 - Actually, we'll group several reported incidents together, since they are essentially the same. In one case, a pro-union co-worker tried to physically remove an anti-union button from the wearer's shirt. Anti-Union co-workers have also reported hostile words and actions from pro-union employees in elevators, work areas, the Cafe, etc. While we are certain that the behavior of a few over-zealous pro-union co-workers are not indicative of all pro-union co-workers, it is extremely important that ANY EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCING HOSTILE BEHAVIOR, THREATS, OR ACTIONS FROM CO-WORKERS ON ANY SIDE OF THIS ISSUE REPORT THESE INCIDENTS TO HUMAN RESOURCES. It is unfortunate that this kind of divisive atmosphere has already reared it's ugly head in our workplace!
INCIDENT #2 - Several of our co-workers report being approached by Union folks in their break room. These employees told the Union representatives they needed to go back to their work and patients. However, the Union representatives continued to ask them to sign the Union card. Finally, the employees said they had to get back to work. The union response was, as reported by these employees, that they would let them return to work only if they signed the union cards. The employees signed the cards so the union folks would go away. After discovering that they had signed cards affirming their wish to be represented by and a member of the SEIU, they very much regretted signing. (After several requests and with our help, they did get their cards back from the union, much to their relief.)
REMEMBER, union organizers have a right to be in your lounges, break rooms and the Cafe to talk to you about the SEIU when you are on your breaks and lunch break. HOWEVER, YOU have the right not to talk to them and they must respect that right. It doesn't matter whether you don't want to talk to them because you don't like the union, you need to return to work, you want to enjoy your break in peace, or any other reason, they must respect your wishes and leave you alone. If they do not, just walk away and report the incident to Human Resources.
