photo credit: Noah Abrams/KRCB

Staff at the 43-bed Healdsburg Hospital are joining the National Union of Healthcare Workers.

Donya Bornstein works in the hospital's pharmacy department.

She said the vote was fairly decisive.

"There was 193 eligible voters, 104 voted for unionization and 27 voted against it," Bornstein said.

The National Union of Healthcare workers represents thousands like Donya, and nurses, medical technicians, and custodial staff at hospitals and healthcare facilities across the state.

Healdsburg Hospital is one of six Providence Health-owned hospitals in Northern California

The union now represents staff at all of them.

Bornstein said nearly 200 workers at Healdsburg Hospital are joining.

"Besides pay and having maybe a better matching 401(k), I think all in all, it was to have a voice in our hospital as a team," Bornstein said.

Providence is currently engaged in contract negotiations with the union.

Providence, the healthcare giant that acquired Healdsburg Hospital in 2021, has notyet responded to a KRCB News request for comment.