Rep. Chu Calls on Huntington Hospital to Reinstate Nurses and Allow Unionization Following NLRB Decision

On January 29th, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) agreed with Allysha Almada and Vicki Lin, two nurses who filed a complaint against their former employer, Huntington Hospital, claiming they were fired for their efforts to unionize. The decision by the NLRB means that Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena must now reach an agreement with the two nurses or the NLRB will file a formal complaint that could result in a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), who has met with the nurses and spoken out on their right to freely unionize, released the following statement calling for them to be reinstated:

“The National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) decision is a victory for workers and the residents of the San Gabriel Valley who count on the nurses of Huntington Memorial Hospital to deliver quality health care. As a former educator whose job was saved by a union, I know just how important the right to unionize can be. That is why I have spoken out and stood up with Allysha Almada and Vicki Lin. Firing workers because they choose to exercise their collective bargaining rights is not only appalling, but, as the NLRB decision shows, is also an egregious violation of federal labor laws. These nurses, like other workers, should have the right to unionize without fear of losing their jobs and jeopardizing continuous care for their patients. I am thrilled with the NLRB’s decision to side with these hard-working healthcare providers. Now it is time for Huntington to reinstate these nurses and stop standing in the way of their right to organize. Our nurses take care of us and our loved ones, and it is time to ensure we take care of them as well.”

Nurses Allysha Almada and Vicki Lin were fired by Huntington Memorial Hospital in August 2015. They were leaders in the pro-unionization movement in the hospital and strong advocates for a fair election process. In October 2015, Allysha took her fight to the national level when she was invited to Washington D.C. to participate in the White House Summit on Worker Voice. On January 29th, 2016, the National Labor Relations Board completed their investigation and ruled in favor of Almada and Lin.