Unfair labor practices charge dropped against hospital

By Jean Reid Norman

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

A second charge of unfair labor practices against Boulder City Hospital has been dropped, but a union vote among its 300 nurses, housekeepers and other workers appears to be on hold while previous charges are appealed to the National Labor Relations Board in Washington.

The second charge was filed by the Teamsters Union Local 14, which has been trying to organize the nonprofit hospital, after an administrative law judge found in the union’s favor on several previous charges.

The union alleged in the second charge that hospital managers retaliated against nurse Dale Slover for his testimony during a May hearing.

The judge in that case wrote that the hospital had wrongly interrogated Slover about union activity and that supervisors incorrectly told him that the hospital would close if it were unionized. The judge also wrote that he found Slover’s testimony credible over that of hospital managers.

National Labor Relations Board Deputy Regional Attorney Steven Wamser confirmed that the subsequent charges were dropped by the union.

Repeated calls to the Teamsters Local 14 organizers to explain why were not returned.

Wamser said a union election at the hospital was still being blocked by the appeal of the earlier charges to the National Labor Relations Board. The five-member board currently has only two members, he said, adding he did not know when the other three would be confirmed.

The hospital appealed the judge’s finding that it unfairly denied work to Greg Ostrowski, a nurse who was helping to organize the union, and that Slover’s testimony was credible, attorney Jim Winkler said.

Wamser appealed the finding that the hospital violated the National Labor Relations Act when it posted the company’s harassment policy after employees complained about the union activity, Winkler said.

If the board in Washington finds the hospital was wrong, a compliance plan will be put into place within 60 days, Winkler said. If it finds for the hospital, the election could proceed immediately, he said.

Winkler said much of the original complaint against the hospital was dismissed and noted the union dropped its second charge.

“The employer has done a pretty good job of complying with the law,” Winkler said.