By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Workers at seven plants of a Chesterfield-based corporation have threatened to strike if they don't get a contract by Thursday.
Angelica Corporation has more than 30 facilities around the country that clean and launder hospital linens.
The union that represents workers at 23 of Angelica's facilities says health and safety issues top their list of priorities.
Unite Here spokeswoman Amanda Cooper says workers want a company standard that guarantees proper vaccinations and training.
"Hospital linens are dirty they often have blood, feces, sometimes surgical instruments and other hypodermic needles sometimes in them," Cooper says. "So it makes very dangerous work."
Unite Here is also pushing for a card-check agreement that would allow workers at non-unionized facilities to sign cards rather than go through an election in order to organize.
Angelica assistant general council Carla Laszewski says Angelica has no problem with unions representing workers but expects workers to vote in an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board.
Angelica is the largest launderer of hospital linen in the country.