Allied health professionals—lab technicians, physical therapists, pharmacists and others in similar professions—who work at the two Holy Family Hospital campuses are on track to be represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
Eligible employees voted 46-5 Wednesday in favor of collective bargaining. In all, 76 employees were eligible to vote.
Physical therapist David Matthews said he voted in favor of union representation because he felt his wages and benefits have lagged during the period when Steward Health Care owned the two campuses and that the new owner, Lawrence General Hospital, hasn’t taken their concerns seriously. Lawrence General purchased the two campuses last October after Steward filed for bankruptcy.
“We hadn’t been getting regular raises with Steward and under Lawrence General we discovered that we weren’t getting the same paid holidays as those in the union and we were paying higher health insurance premiums,” Matthews said. “We thought it was important to get those benefits and workplace protections for ourselves.”
Matthews, who lives in Haverhill, has worked at Holy Family’s Methuen campus for two years.
Joe Markman, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said the election should be certified by the National Labor Relations Board within a few weeks. Then he expects the union will begin negotiations with the hospital for a contract.
In a statement given to WHAV this week, Lawrence General Hospital spokesperson Lori Howley said, “We respect our employees’ right to choose whether or not they wish to be represented by a union. This is an important, personal decision, and we encourage all eligible employees to participate in the upcoming election and make their voices heard by casting their vote.”