People of Faith Applaud New “Sign of Hope”
Catholic Healthcare West and SEIU Reach Agreement

Chicago – The Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) applauds Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) and the Service Employees International Union (SEUI) for the positive step forward taken in reaching an agreement. This agreement will allow employees a fair and free process for exercising their right to organize and to choose whether they want a union. This agreement comes after several years of change in the health care industry which has had a profound effect on workers, patients, and health care systems, and prompted increased union organizing in Catholic hospitals.

Over the past several years, the IWJ’s Religious Employers Project (REP) has encouraged both CHW and SEIU to find ways to work together so that their collective energy and resources could be directed at improving the health care system for the benefit of workers, patients and those without access to health care.

“People of good faith and commitment in both groups have much energy and talent to bring to the table and can make an important contribution to expanding health care coverage to immigrants, people who are economically poor and their children,” said Bishop Jesse DeWitt, board president of IWJ.

The IWJ encourages other Catholic health care systems and unions involved in difficult organizing struggles to follow the lead of CHW and SEIU by exploring ways they can work together for the greater common good.

“This new agreement is a sign of hope for all who care about and are committed to the ministry of Catholic health care,” said Denise Starkey, OP, coordinator of the REP. “This agreement creates an opportunity for CHW and SEIU to work together to reform the health care industry and to ensure that all people have access to quality health care.” For further information on ways in which management and labor can work together see IWJ’s Guidelines For Unions and Management of Religiously Sponsored Healthcare Institutions at www.iwj.org.

IWJ calls upon our religious values in order to educate, organize, and mobilize the religious community on issues and campaigns that will improve wages, benefits, and working conditions for workers, especially low-wage workers.