CLEVELAND — Amid another round of tense labor talks, union caregivers at Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital have “overwhelmingly” voted to authorize a strike if a new collective bargaining agreement cannot be reached with the healthcare system.
Service Employees International Union District 1199 confirmed the news Thursday evening, claiming the vote came after “months of negotiations” as well as “more than three dozen unfair labor practice charges filed against Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital.” The latest developments mirror those of the summer of 2023, when Lutheran Hospital workers also voted to strike before striking a deal for a new three-year contract at the last minute.
That three-year contract is now set to expire, with employees vowing to fight “for equity and equality in wages and benefits, safe staffing, workplace safety, and the respect on the job while continuing to provide quality patient care every day.”…