SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – One hundred and forty healthcare workers at Vibra Ballard Rehabilitation Hospital voted to improve safety, patient care, and jobs by uniting in SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), a union of more than 100,000 healthcare workers across California.

Vibra Healthcare is a for-profit chain that made profits of $85 million in California between 2016 and 2019 (the most recent years available). ProPublica reports that Vibra has received up to $97 million in federal, taxpayer-funded COVID-19 funds intended for small businesses.

“We love our patients,” said Maria Martinez-Jaimes, a dietary aide at Vibra Ballard. “But for too long the corporate executives have made decisions that put profits before patients: understaffing, shortcuts on safety, and high turnover due to low wages and bad working conditions. Now we’ll have a strong voice to improve patient care, safety, and jobs at our hospital.”

The victory was overwhelming: 80 percent of the workers voting supported joining SEIU-UHW. The vote applies to a variety of job classes at the facility, including certified nursing assistants, dietary aides, housekeepers, licensed vocational nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, radiology technologists, respiratory therapists, and unit secretaries.

With this victory, the majority of Vibra Healthcare facilities statewide are now united in SEIU-UHW, including its hospitals in San Bernardino, San Francisco, Marin, and Sacramento.

The chain’s only remaining non-union facilities in California are in Fresno, Redding, and Rancho Mirage.

Media Contact: Renée Saldaña, [email protected]

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SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is one of the largest unions of hospital workers in the United States with over 100,000 members. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.