The National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint accusing a Portland nursing home of unfair labor practices for threatening, intimidating, spying on and punishing employees who attempting to organize a union.
In a complaint signed May 29 by NLRB Region 19 Director Richard L. Ahearn in Seattle, the board put the Laurelhurst Village nursing facility on notice that it would be liable for back pay and interest in the case of one worker the board contends was fired as a result of her activity on behalf of an effort by employees to join Service Employees International Union Local 503 which represents workers at 26 Oregon nursing homes.
The federal complaint, which follows an investigation that included sworn testimony from employees and information supplied by management, details 11 separate allegations against the facility, which is owned by Portland-based Farmington Centers, Inc. It alleges that a flurry of unlawful activity in late March and early April designed to thwart the ability of workers to form a union included these specific acts:
. Laurelhurst Village managers issued a new rule barring off-duty employees from the facility, then enforced the rule to prevent workers from campaigning for the union, called Portland police and threatened to have workers arrested for supporting the union in a calculated effort to intimidate them and thwart their efforts to organize/
. Director of Operations Hannah Austin "created an impression that union activities were under surveillance" and "interrogated" employees about their own union activity and that of fellow workers.
. Administrator Sandy Ouellette and chef Richard Menegat "engaged in surveillance" of employees engaged in union activity.
. Environmental services director Kelly Dodd implied that employees would be subject to reprisal for distributing union literature.
. Managers warned a certified nursing aide, Andrea Glaser, to stop promoting the union.
. Managers took several disciplinary actions against a receptionist, Elizabeth Lehr, and then fired Lehr because she acted to help form a union.
The nursing home has until June 12 to answer the complaint. A hearing on the charges before a federal administrative law judge has been scheduled for July 14 in Portland.
Download a copy of the NLRB notice