St. Vincent Medical Center Nurses Join Union

Nurses at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles have voted to join the California Nurses Assn. CNA officials are calling the action the first major hospital union victory in several years. The 179-119 vote means the union will represent the hospital’s 350 registered nurses in negotiating a labor contract. CNA Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro said the union drive was sparked by concerns over “woefully inadequate staffing.” A St. Vincent spokesman said the hospital’s staffing meets or exceeds all regulatory standards. “We’re disappointed” at the vote, said Thomas Raycraft, executive director of the St. Vincent Medical Center Foundation. “We had hoped we would be able to maintain our long relationship directly with our nurses, but . . . we will negotiate within the letter and spirit of the law.”