Threat of Injunction Stops Layoffs

Washington Hospital Stewards with Principal Officer Peter Finn.

Washington Hospital Stewards with Principal Officer Peter Finn.

Through aggressive legal action, Teamsters 856 has prevented Washington Hospital from wrongfully laying off members in violation of the collective bargaining agreement.

On Wednesday, September 17th, Washington Hospital notified 31 of its employees, including several members of Teamsters 856, that they would be laid off. In response, Teamsters 856 representatives Tim Jenkins and Malia Vella, and stewards, Micki Estrada, Stacey Alexandre, and Maria Armstrong requested that the hospital provide proof that the layoff was necessary and worked with members who were affected and to ensure that our contract had been followed.

When it became apparent that the Hospital was trying to replace benefited, full-time members with non-benefited, casual employees and had laid off employees out of seniority, Teamsters 856 demanded that management rescind the layoffs and reinstate our members.

Unwilling to let management get away with such an egregious contraction violation, Teamsters 856 explored proactive legal options to aggressively fight for our members. The Teamsters 856 legal team drafted, and was prepared to file a court injunction to prevent the layoffs from occurring.

Under the pressure of the pending legal action, one day before the court date, management backed off from their hardline stance. In the end, a Teamster’s job was saved, seniority was followed, and Washington Hospital’s Teamsters’ rights under the contract were fully enforced.