Healthcare professionals at Secaucus University Hospital, part of the Hudson Regional Health chain, voted unanimously yesterday to join the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) union – the largest in the state.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“These workers have worked at a hospital where the majority of their colleagues are members of HPAE Local 5147,” HPAE President Debbie White said in a statement.
“They have seen the power and solidarity that belonging to a union gives workers and we are proud to welcome these healthcare professionals into our union!”
The professionals —social workers, pharmacists, physical therapists, dietitians, and speech language pathologists — participated in daylong voting on Thursday.
The workers will become members of HPAE Local 5147, which currently includes registered nurses, technical staff, and service workers.
Along with the SUHl, HRH also operates Bayonne University Hospital, the Hoboken University Hospital, and The Heights University Hospital in Jersey City, which the union was vocal about due to the abrupt and “illegal” nature of the closure in March.