National Nurses United

CALIFORNIA R egistered nurses at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (ABSMC) in Oakland and Berkeley held a five-day strike in October in response to persistent patient care issues, including workplace violence and high turnover rates. They held a second nine-day strike in late December and January, citing concerns over working conditions, continu- ing education, and benefits. "We are seeing a mass exodus of nurses from the medical center due to the poor working conditions," said Mike Hill, RN in the intensive care unit at ABSMC in Oak- land. "Sutter has a responsibility to ensure that nurses have what they need to pro- vide the highest quality of care and have workplace violence prevention plans for each unit in place. I am seeing nurses leave the medical center for other nursing positions on a regular basis. We have nurses working overtime, and even double shifts day after day to keep the hospital running. Sutter must create working con- ditions to enhance patient care while also providing a safe work environment that retains nurses." California Nurses Association represents 1,800 nurses at Sutter Health's ABSMC campuses. "I have worked at ABSMC for more than 40 years, and I have never seen Sutter act this disrespectfully towards nurses, and therefore to our patients," said Ann Gae- bler, a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at ABSMC in Berkeley. "Nursing is a tough profession, it demands the ability to understand and retain complex medical knowledge, an ability to stay calm when things get difficult, a compassion- ate nature, and emotional resilience. "It takes time to master the nursing profes- sion and it takes mentorship from experienced nurses to get there," said Gaebler. "We are los- ing our experienced nurses because of the working conditions at ABSMC. Without proper mentorship, we see young nurses suf- fering the moral injury and the moral distress of having to care for patients without the sup- port they need, and so they leave. This is not how you grow the next generation of nurses or how to take care of a community. —Staff report Sutter RNs held two strikes Nurses in Berkeley and Oakland demand safe working conditions O C T O B E R | N O V E M B E R | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 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 N A T I O N A L N U R S E 7 KANSAS R egistered nurses at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kan. voted by 66 percent, 378 to 194, to join National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU). The secret ballot election was conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, on Nov. 9 and 10. Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospi- tal is the largest hospital in Wichita and the first private-sector hospital to become unionized by registered nurses. "It's a historic day for the Wichita nurses and our community," said Angela Cammarn, RN in the cardiac critical care unit at St. Francis. "We are joining a strong community of union nurses in Kansas and across the United States. As nurses, we are committed to providing excellent care to our patients. NNOC/NNU nurses have a track record of fighting for safer conditions so they can pro- vide safe care to their communities. We plan on doing the same here!" The union will represent more than 650 RNs at the hospital, which is owned by Ascension, one of the largest not-for-profit and Catholic hospital chains in the nation, with 143 hospitals and other health care facilities in 19 states. NNU President Deborah Burger, RN, extended a warm welcome on behalf of the union to the St. Francis RNs. "We salute your impressive and enthusiastic campaign and look forward to working with you to achieve better conditions for nurses and patients at St. Francis and across the country." Nurses sought union affiliation so they can more effectively advocate for improved condi- tions in the workplace and better economic standards for their colleagues and their fami- lies. This, say nurses, is how to keep experienced RNs at the bed- side and recruit nurses at a time of growing national concern about the willing- ness of RNs to work under morally distressing and injurious conditions. "Winning our union election is just the beginning," said Angela de Souza, RN in the post-anesthesia care unit. "We are elated to bargain with management as St. Francis nurses. Safer staffing, workplace violence prevention, and local nurse retention will be at the forefront of our campaign. As union nurses, we will fight for a first contract that will protect both our patients and staff." Next, the nurses will elect a team to rep- resent them in negotiations for a first contract with Ascension. To prepare, they will survey the RNs about the key issues over which to bargain. —Martha Wallner Union win in Wichita! RNs at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital vote to join NNOC

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