Cottage Health Nurses Set to Vote on Unionization
Registered nurses at Cottage Health's hospitals in Santa Barbara and Goleta will vote on December 8th and 9th on whether to unionize with SEIU 121RN. The vote covers nurses at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and Cottage…
Santa Barbara Santa Maria San Luis Obispo, CA, November 7, 2026 — Registered nurses at three Cottage Health hospitals in Santa Barbara and Goleta are scheduled to cast their ballots on whether to unionize. The vote is set to take place on December 8th and 9th.
The nurses will be voting on joining SEIU 121RN, a union representing healthcare workers. The organizing effort precedes the upcoming vote, which will determine union representation for nurses at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital.
According to reports, the nurses’ organizing efforts have been underway for several months. Key issues cited by nurses involved in these efforts include concerns regarding compensation, the rising cost of living, and various workplace policies. The outcome of the December vote will indicate whether a majority of these nurses wish to be represented by SEIU 121RN.
The specific details regarding the timeline of the organizing efforts beyond ‘months’ and the exact nature of the workplace policies in question were not provided. The union, SEIU 121RN, is a significant labor organization within the healthcare sector.
This upcoming vote represents a critical juncture for the registered nurses and the Cottage Health system as it addresses the nurses’ expressed concerns through a formal collective bargaining process, should they vote to unionize.
Story summarized from the original created by Evelyn Spence, South County Editor on www.noozhawk.com, see more information here.
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