RNs say union protections will lead to improved patient care

Registered nurses at CommonSpirit Health’s St. Joseph Health in Brazos Valley, Texas voted decisively this week to join National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the nation’s largest and fastest-growing union of registered nurses.

“This is a great day for the nurses at St. Joseph Health and for the patients in our community,” said Tara Cassell, a registered nurse in the labor and delivery unit. “Nurses have come together to ensure that our voices are heard as we advocate for our patients. We were compelled to organize and form a union because of our deep concerns about our patients’ safety and well-being. We are excited to build a strong contract that protects nurses and patients so we can provide the best care possible.”

The election was held on Dec. 9 and 10 and was conducted by the National Labor Relations Board. NNOC/NNU will now represent some 750 registered nurses who are part of St. Joseph Health Regional, with hospitals in Bryan and College Station, and three critical access facilities: St. Joseph Health Burleson Hospital in Caldwell, St. Joseph Health Grimes Hospital in Navasota, and St. Joseph Health Madison Hospital in Madisonville.

Nurses say they voted to join the union because it is critical that nurses have a say in making decisions in patient care, staffing, and to help recruit and retain experienced nurses, which leads to improved patient care.

St. Joseph Health is owned by CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the nation. CommonSpirit Health made $1.1 billion in profits last year. In past years, the compensation for CommonSpirit Health CEOs has been among the highest for nonprofits in the country. Former CEO Lloyd Dean and current CEO Wright Lassiter, lll took home a combined $36.6 million in 2024. Nurses contend that CommonSpirit clearly has the funds to address the patient safety issues at St. Joseph Health.

“Nurses understand the importance of putting patient care and safety before profits,” said Katie Oberhelman, a registered nurse in the medical unit. “As we bargain for our first contract, we will be negotiating for our patients. We must demand safe staffing in all our units and on every shift that takes into account the acuity of our patients. We must put in safeguards against workplace violence in order to ensure that our hospital is first and foremost a place of healing.”

Nurses will now move to elect their bargaining team and prepare to negotiate their first contract.

NNOC/NNU now represents more 17,000 nurses at 33 CommonSpirit Health facilities across the country. 

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.