Union workers at Stanford University will take a vote Monday authorizing a possible strike, apparently angering university officials and upping the ante in a separate impasse between the union and Stanford and Lucile Packard Children’s hospitals.

The university workers' vote is technically unrelated to the hospital negotiations, although the same union local represents both groups. The union has separate labor contracts with the university and the two hospitals, for separate sets of workers.

On the university front, officials at Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 715, said the 5 p.m. Monday vote authorizing a possible strike is being taken because the existing labor contract with the university, while not expired, had been reopened for negotiations because of several issues.

Stanford said in an unattributed press statement that the university was "surprised and dismayed to learn from the media" about the strike vote. It said "the university is disheartened to learn that Local 715 apparently does not intend to abide by the 'no strike' provision in the contract." Stanford contends the union is prohibited from striking before its current contract expires, Aug. 31, 2006.

SEIU represents 1,260 university service, maintenance and technical employees. The last negotiating session between the two sides occurred Nov. 18.

Meanwhile, negotiations have broken off between SEIU and the two hospitals.

SEIU represents about 1,300 service and food workers at the hospitals, including 300 nursing assistants, who voted "overwhelmingly" to authorize a strike last Tuesday. The two hospitals have nearly 1,000 beds, but a precise bed census was not immediately available today.

SEIU’s contract with the hospitals expired Nov. 13. The hospitals have offered 12 percent in pay raises over three years, while the union is asking for 29 percent in pay raises over three years.

John Vellardita, SEIU spokesman, said Wednesday that the union had offered to reopen negotiations with the hospitals.

But Andrea Smith, media relations manager at Stanford Hospital, said Wednesday the hospitals see no point in reopening negotiations “if the union continues to make unrealistic offers.”

The hospitals have not had a work stoppage since a 50-day strike by its 1,700 nurses in June and July, 2000.

The hospitals were able to continue functioning during that strike by flying in contract nurses from the around the country to replace its striking nurses.

The hospitals have not said how they would respond or replace the workers and nursing assistants in case of a strike.

— by Don Kazak