Workers Approve First Home-Care Union In State
The Boston employees of Newton-based Medical Resources Home Health Corp. have voted to unionize, according to the Service Employees International Union Local 1199, becoming the first private home care agency workers to organize in the state. The union was approved by mail-in vote following a bitter campaign in which workers said the company tried to thwart their efforts, forcing them to skip appointments with elderly clients to attend anti-union meetings, promising employees paid holidays or bonuses if the vote failed, and setting up robocalls enouraging workers to vote no.
Medical Resources president Lesley Nolan has refuted the allegations, but said if the National Labor Relations Board confirmed the election results, the company would abide by its ruling.
“The election was very close,” she wrote in an e-mail. “At the appropriate time we will certainly comply with all obligations under the law and bargain in good faith with the union.”
Representatives of the 236 Medical Resources workers planned to rally on the steps of the State House Tuesday afternoon with some of the state’s unionized 35,000 personal care attendants, who recently won the right to earn $15 an hour from the Baker administration.
Katie Johnston can be reached at katie.johnston@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @ktkjohnston.