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Yale-New Haven Hospital news release
Release date: May 16, 2007
Media contact: (203) 688-2488

YNHH Signs Agreement with National Labor Relations Board

In a move that could ultimately clear the way for an employee election at Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH), the Hospital on Wednesday delivered a signed settlement agreement to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The agreement settles the charges contained in a complaint filed by the NLRB two weeks ago by requiring the Hospital to post a notice to employees for a 60-day period. As part of the agreement proposed by the NLRB, the Hospital is not required to admit to any wrongdoing.

“This provides us with an important opportunity to move closer to an election,” said Marna P. Borgstrom, President and CEO. “We have always believed that our employees deserve the right to decide for themselves the issue of union representation in a secret ballot election. We appreciate the timely review of this matter by the NLRB and are hopeful that this will allow the NLRB to move forward on the Hospital’s petition for an election.”

The settlement agreement with the NLRB follows a five-month review of unfair labor charges that were brought by Service Employees International Union — SEIU/1199 — to block an election in December 2006. While the union claimed that it filed “more than 200 charges” against the Hospital, only four charges were included in the NLRB complaint.

In February 2007, SEIU/1199 withdrew its petition for an election with the NLRB. The Hospital, citing the vital need for employee voices to be heard in this matter, filed its own employer petition for an election on March 8 that is now pending before the NLRB. While the union re-filed the same allegations against the Hospital that blocked the employee election in December, the settlement agreement provides for a remedy that, once fulfilled, would create the environment necessary for an employee election.

“The charges are not new and date back to December 2006. The NLRB has indicated that with the posting of this notice for 60 days, these charges would be remedied,” said Vin Petrini, senior vice president. “The Hospital fully supports the settlement agreement and we are calling on the union to support the settlement as well so a vote by employees can be pursued without further delay.”

Yale-New Haven Hospital is a 944-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine. Yale-New Haven was founded as the fourth voluntary hospital in the U.S. in 1826 and today, the hospital complex includes Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital and Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital, with a combined medical staff of about 2,400 university and community physicians practicing in more than 100 specialties. See www.ynhh.org for additional information.

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Last revised: April 26, 2007 (dh)

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