The union representing employees of Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center would have helped its image by choosing not to fight a requirement that employees wear surgical masks while working around residents if they choose not to receive the flu vaccine.

The union is balking behind a contract technicality that the mask requirement would constitute a change in working conditions without official bargaining.

The union’s stance makes no sense when factored against elderly residents of the facility possibly being placed at risk of contracting the illness while the issue drags on unresolved.

And, the prospect of catching the flu is a bigger danger for the elderly than younger people. According to data contained in the county grievance response to SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Healthcare, 90 percent of influenza-related deaths are with people ages 65 and older.

It’s troubling that employees working with frail individuals in that age group would fight such a common-sense directive. Mere conscience would seem to dictate otherwise.

Sue Murray, Sunnview administrator, told the Butler Eagle that 84 percent of the facility’s medical staff already has complied with the policy, However, the other 16 percent eventually could be the basis for serious flu problems at Sunnyview if they aren’t vaccinated, since, according to the state Department of Health, elderly people with chronic conditions, such as those in nursing homes, would not respond well to the vaccinations they receive.

Rather than offer compromises to the union that could leave open a big window to the flu virus, Sunnyview officials should have remained firm about the flu shot/mask mandate as originally proposed.

Last month, Rhode Island became the first state to mandate seasonal flu shots for medical staff, other employees and volunteers in health care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes.

Colorado and California are in the process of mandating the vaccinations for those workers and volunteers.

Pennsylvania should become the fourth state to mandate flu vaccination for health care workers.

Meanwhile, federal and state agencies agree workers at Sunnyview should be vaccinated.

“It’s the single most important thing they (Sunnyview workers as well as those in other facilities) can do to protect themselves and others,” said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Unfortunately, SEIU Healthcare prefers to stubbornly adhere to a contract language issue that, in this instance, makes little sense. Neither does the reasoning of Deborah Bonn, director of the Nurse Alliance of Pennsylvania, a SEIU Healthcare affiliate.

Bonn, who said the union supports the flu vaccine, but feels it should be a voluntary program, said workers should be sent home if they’re sick.

But by that time they already could have infected people for whom they were hired to provide care and keep in the best health possible — and Bonn knows that.

The union should opt for the high road by taking the proactive path of putting the issue to rest.

It should embrace mandated flu shots for all of its members whose health would not be adversely affected by them. And, for those few unable to receive them due to medical/health conditions, it should concur with the mask requirement, not oppose it.

The flu shot/mask issue is one that never should have become so controversial — indeed, controversial at all.