Lynn Woolsey, et al Will Respond to Recent Wave of Union-Busting in Sonoma County

Workers Prevented From Organizing Unions at Four Major Employers in
Sonoma County Will Testify Before Congresswoman Woolsey and
Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Maria Echaveste,
During Town Hall Meeting

When: Saturday, June 18, 2005 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Finley Community Center
2060 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA, Calif., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Local workers and community
leaders will be joined by Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, California State
Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, and former Clinton White House Deputy Chief of
Staff Maria Echaveste in a Town Hall meeting called "Workers' Rights Are Human
Rights," to discuss recent union-busting in Sonoma County. Empire Waste
Management, E.&J. Gallo Winery, Ensign-Sonoma Healthcare Center, and Santa
Rosa Memorial Hospital have recently waged campaigns of intimidation and
illegal labor practices against workers who attempt to organize unions and
bargain contracts. The workers, who are employed in various industries, are
asking their employers to stop illegal union busting and allow workers to
choose a voice at work without management interference.
"Ever since we started organizing our union, management has tried to use
pressure and intimidation to fight us," said Mito Gonzales, who works in the
laboratory at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. "Now we want them to agree to
standards that will allow us to have a fair and democratic union election."
Workers who will be in attendance report that their employers have
prevented them from disseminating union information, issued threats, and
withheld the wages of union supporters. Since filing for a union election in
mid-December, employees of Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital have been forced to
attend mandatory group and individual anti-union meetings with management. At
Sonoma County E.&J. Gallo Winery, workers who lack proper health benefits and
live in substandard housing reported being coerced into signing a petition
circulated by management against union representation. Employers at Empire
Waste Management are currently violating a ruling by the National Labor
Relations Board requiring the company to discontinue use of unfair labor
practices such as withholding wage increases for union members.
Frustrated with permissive labor laws that lack real means of enforcement,
workers hope to gain support of elected officials and community members in
their fight to organize workplace unions.

With over 130,000 members throughout the state in the hospital, homecare and
nursing home industries, SEIU United Healthcare Workers West is the largest
and fastest-growing healthcare workers union in the Western U.S.

Our mission is to achieve high quality healthcare for all.

Media Contact
Thea Lavin (510) 520-7732



SOURCE SEIU United Healthcare Workers West