A group of 156 hospital support workers at Providence Milwaukie Hospital voted 92-54 to join Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 49 in ballots counted June 14.
The new bargaining unit is made up of workers in 26 job categories, including CNAs, cooks, phlebotomists and ER techs. They voted to unionize in order to win wage increases, more affordable medical benefits, and more say over conditions in the workplace.
Local 49 represents similar workers at more than a dozen hospitals in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
