About 1,700 workers at the Cook County Health and Hospital System have allied with a public-sector union as they prepare to renegotiate their contracts with county officials next week.

The move strengthens the ranks of the Service Employees International Union's Local 73, and it and firmly establishes the employees as part of a broader effort to fight layoffs and privatization in the county.

The workers — janitors, launderers, technicians, food servers and others — join about 25,000 existing members of the SEIU's Local 73. Formerly, they belonged to Health Care Illinois/Indiana, another SEIU local that represents health-care employees in the private sector.

Since September, after union officials approved the switch, Local 73 has represented the workers in negotiations with county officials. But the employees had not formally approved their new affiliation.

Their 707-11 vote this week vindicated Local 73 organizers, who helped workers score minor victories in their workplaces over the past nine months.

Now, union representatives must move from bargaining over details of working conditions such as uniforms and into full-blown negotiations over job security, wages and benefits.

"We've worked hard since September to provide these workers with excellent service, and to take care of their needs," says Jonathan Labe, spokesoman for Local 73. "We will represent them to the best of our ability in what is a trying economic environment."

The county is reeling financially despite anticipated federal funding. Earlier this year, the health system's board approved nearly 1,000 nonmedical job cuts.

Marcel Bright, spokesman for the county's health system, says it is unclear how the change would affect negotiations over a new contract starting next week.

"It would be presumptuous to comment on how these employees' decision to change their union representation would impact future contract negotiations," Bright says.