Center workers vote to join UMWA
On a 60-26 vote, workers at Cherry Tree Nursing Center on Friday approved being represented by the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). “What happens now is there is a seven-day period during which either side can file objections relative to any misconduct during the voting. After that, we start the bargaining process,’ said Marlon Whoolery, UMWA Region 1 international representative.
It was the second time in a little more than a year that workers at the nursing center voted for union representation.
Workers voted against union representation in 2001, but this year they again approached the UMWA when they said management at the center had not fulfilled promises made before the first vote.
Employees said they want consistency in how policies are administered at the center, as well as retirement plans, improvements in health benefits and better managed staffing.
Cherry Tree Health Care Corp. of Uniontown is listed as the owner of the facility in county assessment records. According to a report filed Dec. 31, 2001, with the Pennsylvania Department of State Corporation Bureau, Uniontown physician Dr. Kishor E. Joshi is chief executive officer, vice president, secretary and treasurer of the corporation.
The center opened in November 1995 at a cost of $5 million, management said at the time. It handles long-term clients, as well as those who need short, transitional stays before returning home from the hospital.
Workers said they are looking for a fair contract and clear job definition.
UMWA International President Cecil Roberts said he was pleased to welcome nearly 100 health-care workers at the center to the union. The new unit includes licensed practical nurses, certified nurses assistants, dietary and maintenance workers, caregivers and employees in the activities department.
“This is a great victory not only for the UMWA, but also for these workers,” Roberts said.
“For the most part, the problems that led the Cherry Tree workers to seek union representation mirror the problems impacting health-care workers nationwide. Most important, the workers believed that staffing levels were not adequate to sufficiently service the home’s residents, meaning care was suffering. The other things they want addressed, such as low wages, lack of benefits and unaffordable health care, are also issues for a great many health care workers across the country.
“I applaud the Cherry Tree workers for standing firm in their resolve to better themselves and their workplace. They are setting a great example for their brothers and sisters working in the health care industry, not only in the Pennsylvania coal fields, but across the state and the country as well,” Roberts added.
The UMWA represents thousands of health-care workers nationwide, primarily at hospitals, clinics and nursing homes in coa field states.