National Nurses United

4 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G J U LY | A U G U S T | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0 NORTH CAROLINA I t's a new day at HCA's Mission Hospi- tal in Asheville, N.C. for registered nurses, for their patients, their commu- nity, and as a message to nurses and all workers across the South. In the first private-sector hospital union election win in North Carolina and the largest at any nonunion hospital in the South since 1975, RNs at Mission voted Sept. 17 to join the nation's largest RN union to secure a powerful voice for improved care and workplace safety. For labor as a whole, it is also believed to be the largest union election win in the South in 12 years. The nurses voted by 965 to 411—a stun- ning 70 percent landslide—to join the National Nurses Organizing Committee/ National Nurses United, in a secret, mail-in ballot election conducted and counted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). NNOC will now represent 1,800 RNs at Mission. Overall, NNU, the largest U.S. union of RNs, represents more than 155,000 RNs. The Mission RNs prevailed over a heavily funded, anti-union campaign by the hospi- tal owner, HCA, the largest hospital system in the United States, and arguably the most politically and economically influential giant in the hospital industry. The nurses endured months of delay before the election was held in a state with the second-lowest unionization rate in the country. They confronted a regulatory cli- mate hostile to unions and workers' rights passed down by corporate interests and the Trump administration. They also faced the added challenge of conducting a huge union organizing campaign in the midst of the most dangerous pandemic in a century. "We could not be more proud of the unity, the perseverance, and the patient advocacy and dedication of the Mission RNs to their patients, their colleagues, and their commu- nity," said NNU and NNOC Executive Director Bonnie Castillo, RN. "At a time when nurses are in a daily, deadly battle for their patients and their own lives in the era of Covid-19, they have demonstrated incomparable courage and resilience that is an inspiration to all of us." "We're all thrilled that we've finally won," said Lesley Bruce, RN, who works in chest pain observation at Mission. "This victory means we can use our collective voice to advocate for patient safety and safer staffing. I can't wait to see what improvements we'll win together." "Throughout the entire campaign, we've been acutely aware that this fight isn't just for us and our working conditions—this is about the health and well-being of our com- munity," said Kelly Graham, palliative care RN. "We have been blessed with so much support from our Asheville neighbors, who understand that our working conditions have an enormous impact on public health." The Mission RNs began their drive for rep- resentation in the wake of HCA's February 2019 corporate takeover of the former community hospital, which was followed by a rapid decline in patient care conditions at the hospital, as noted by nurses and community residents. "Mission Hospital is the only acute-care facility in Asheville," said Sue Fischer, a float pool RN at Mission. "Everyone in Asheville and the greater rural Western North Car- olina region depends on Mission Hospital for their care." Fischer said that only a few months into the HCA buyout, the nurses started to see dramatic decreases in the amount of staff and resources they had across the hospital. The nurse-to-patient ratios worsened, equipment was replaced with cheaper versions, and cer- tified nurse assistants, housekeepers, security, and phlebotomists, along with many other staff, were dismissed at unprecedented levels. NEWS BRIEFS In historic, landslide victory, North Carolina RNs vote to unionize Nurses at HCA's Mission Hospital show Southern organizing not only possible, but wanted

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