Asante employees to vote on unionization starting Thursday

MEDFORD, Ore. – A vote to unionize over a thousand Asante Rogue Regional employees begins Thursday

There are two organizations looking to unionize workers.

‘SEIU Local 49’ said over 1,100 employees, ranging from departments like intensive care and medical oncology, are looking to join their union.

An additional 270 technical workers may do the same through the state’s largest nursing union the ‘Oregon Nurses Association.’

The voting will take place this Thursday and Friday at three separate times.

“Votes are over seen by the National Labor Relations Board,” ONA spokesperson Myrna Jensen said. “So folks will come into a room and they will be given a ballot much like we are in a general election. They will vote yes or no. They will put it into a secure box and at the end of the two days, the NLRB officials will sit down and count those votes.”

The ONA said every vote is hand counted so the process could take hours.

That means results could come in late Friday or early Saturday.