The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that the religious liberty provisions of the First Amendment to the federal Constitution do not prohibit it from asserting jurisdiction over Ukiah Adventist Hospital, a Seventh-day Adventist health care institution.  The hospital has cited religious reasons in refusing to enter into collective bargaining with the California Nurses Association, a labor organization.

In its ruling, the NLRB said that the hospital’s freedom to operate in accordance with its religious beliefs concerning labor organizations is outweighed by a “compelling state interest” in averting labor unrest.  It also noted that a large percentage of the hospital’s nurses are not members of the Adventist Church, and concluded that the nurses’ right to join a labor organization should not be overruled by the religious freedom rights of the hospital.

The NLRB pointed out that the church attempted, unsuccessfully, to have religiously affiliated hospitals exempted from NLRB jurisdiction when the U.S. Congress amended federal labor law to cover non-profit hospitals in 1974. 

Attorney Alan Reinach, public affairs and religious liberty director of the Adventist Church in the region, testified before the NLRB in January this year, outlining the church’s longstanding teaching against collective bargaining.  He says the hospital is considering appealing the NLRB decision.

The 117-bed hospital is owned and operated by Ukiah Adventist Hospital, Inc., doing business as Ukiah Valley Medical Center, a member of Adventist Health System/West.  The hospital is part of the medical ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which historically has taught its members and institutions not to violate their individual or corporate consciences by supporting either labor or employer organizations, policies, or activities incompatible with Biblical principles.

Though the church does not engage in political or economic activities that seek to destroy the labor movement, it exercises its lawful right to protect itself and its institutions from involvement with labor organizations.