RNs say union protections will lead to improved patient care

Registered nurses at Olympia Fields Hospital in Olympia Fields, Ill., voted 82 percent in favor of joining National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the largest and fastest-growing registered nurse (RN) union in the nation. 

“We are so proud to win our union election. We fought hard for this victory because we want to give our patients the best care,” said Darlene Estrada-Smith, RN in the outpatient surgery unit. “Nurses wanted to join National Nurses Organizing Committee because we know that organizing and forming a union is how we can best advocate for our patients. We look forward to building a strong contract that protects nurses and patients.” 

Nurses at Olympia Fields held a strike last week to protest their employer’s retaliation against nurses who were speaking up and fighting for their patients. Despite these retaliatory tactics from Prime Healthcare, the hospital’s owner, nurses demonstrated their unity and solidarity that resulted in this union win. Nurses at the 214-bed facility say they voted to join the union because it is critical that nurses have a say in making decisions that affect patient care, working conditions, staffing, and recruitment and retention of experienced nurses. 

With their election victory, nurses will continue to demand the reinstatement of their illegally disciplined coworkers and good faith bargaining on a first union contract. Nurses at the hospital will now select their nurse bargaining team members in order to begin negotiations on their first collective bargaining agreement with Prime Healthcare. 

Nurses across the country are organizing and speaking up against Prime Healthcare because Prime endangers patients and nurses systemwide by putting profits above all else. 

Timeline

Aug. 24 - RNs at Olympia Fields Hospital in Olympia Fields and Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine, filed union election petitions because they know that only through unionization can they force Prime to address their concerns about patient care and safe staffing. 

Sept. 3 - Nurses at four Prime hospitals across three states — West Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim, Calif.; Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev.; Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago, Ill.; and nurses and health care workers at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif. — held one-day strikes to protest Prime’s refusal to address their deep concerns about patient care and safe staffing. (Nurses at Saint Mary of Nazareth voted to join NNOC in June.) Also, nurses at Olympia Fields announced that they would strike on Sept. 15 to protest the administration’s retaliation against nurses.

Sept. 15 - Olympia Fields nurses held a one-day strike to protest the hospital administration’s retaliation against nurses who speak up and fight for their patients. In solidarity with nurses at Olympia Fields, nurses at two Prime hospitals held informational pickets on Sept. 14: Saint Mary of Nazareth in Chicago and Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine. Also, nurses and health care workers at three Prime hospitals in two states held sympathy strikes on Sept. 15: RNs at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev. and West Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim, Calif., and nurses and health care workers at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif. 

Sept. 23 - Olympia Fields nurses voted to join NNOC.

Sept. 24 - Central Maine Medical Center nurses will vote to join NNOC.

NNOC/NNU now represents about 400 nurses in the bargaining unit at Olympia Fields Hospital. Nurses from Olympia Fields join more than 3,000 health care workers in the Prime system already represented by NNOC/NNU at hospitals nationwide, more than 1,800 of whom are already in active contract negotiations.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.