Carpenters Union Protests at Medical Offices near LLUMC-Murrieta

UPDATE 3:45 p.m.: A labor protest today outside Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta has been deemed peaceful by law enforcement.

Murrieta police Lt. Tony Conrad said officers were called by hospital staff when the protest started at 10 a.m. on the bridge walkway between the hospital and neighboring Professional Office Building.

"It was a peaceful protest and they didn't violate any statutes," Conrad said.

A deputy district attorney was called out to the protest area by police to verify whether the protesters, affiliated with Carpenters Local 803, had violated any laws, according to the lieutenant.

Conrad said it was determined that it was a place that is open to the public, "a common place."

"They were protesting about non-unionized labor," Conrad said.

Calls to representatives of Carpenters Local 803 from Patch were still not returned as of this update.

One of the protesters told Patch as they were leaving that they planned to return the next day, but hospital officials do not believe that is the case.

Kathryn Stiles, spokesperson for Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta, said that while the Professional Office Building is adjacent to the hospital, it is owned by a separate company, H.C. Reit, and managed by a property management company.

Many patients at the hospital, however, use the walkway for access to oncology and other offices, which is why administrators worked with the police department and the hospital security to keep access open.

"Our chief concern, as always, was the comfort of our patients and the access for our employees," Stiles said.

She could not comment on the dispute, however, as LLUMC-Murrieta "is not involved in it," she said.

PREVIOUS UPDATE 12:55 p.m.: The protesters left the property at about 12:45 p.m.

They declined to comment to Patch. Representatives from Carpenters Local 803 could not immediately be reached as to the reason for the protest.

ORIGINAL POST:

A group of 15 members of labor union Carpenters Local 803 were protesting near the Professional Office Building at Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta on Friday.

They arrived at about 10 a.m. and may have been protesting one of the tenants of the medical offices, Patch has learned, because the tenant has hired one or multiple contractors who do not belong to the union.

Hospital spokesperson, Kathryn Stiles, told Patch the "dispute does not involve the hospital."

"It is not related to our health care, our health care delivery or our hospital services," Stiles said.

Stiles said she believes it may have to do with a subcontractor who did work or is doing work in the Professional Office Building.

Several Murrieta police officers were on scene of the protest.

This story is developing; check back for updates.