The Service Employees International Union recently organized more nursing home workers than ever before in such a short period, the organization said.

The SEIU, the largest representative of healthcare workers in the country, reported that it recruited 347 nursing home employees from five different homes in California between May 23 and June 20 of this year. Three of the five facilities joined in the same week, the union said. The nursing home industry has historically been difficult to unionize, according to SEIU Healthcare United Long-Term Care Workers Union President Tyrone Freeman, making these victories for the union all the more special.

The recently organized California facilities are Sharon Care Center, Buena Ventura Care Center and Olympia Convalescent Hospital, North Valley Nursing Center, and Sun Bridge Care Center for Paradise. The SEIU represents 170,000 nursing home and homecare caregivers, and has more than 2 million members.