Nurses, medical assistants, receptionists and clerical workers at Cape Regional Physicians Associates have voted “union yes,” agreeing to representation by Local 152 of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW).

The 82 new union members work at 13 locations operated by the medical group in Cape May County. Approximately 500 other members of Local 152 are employed at Cape Regional Medical Center, the county’s only hospital, which has had collective bargaining agreements with the UFCW for more than 40 years.

The counting of mail-in votes on Sept. 7 concluded a 71-day unionizing process that began on June 30.

“We’re extremely happy with these results, as are the workers at these facilities,” said Brian String, president of UFCW Local 152, which represents workers in a wide variety of industries in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania. “Our staff did a great job in helping them through the process of organizing their workplaces.”

“Our next step will be to reach out to Cape Regional to begin work on negotiating a contract,” String said. “Our goal will be to bring these new members to a level playing field with dignity and respect at work.”

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