(CBS Detroit) – More than 9,000 nurses working at Corewell East’s nine hospitals could soon become part of the Teamsters, marking the third largest unionization effort in the U.S. in the past five years. It will be done.
This was done after nurses submitted enough cards of interest to the National Labor Relations Board, which approved their right to hold a formal vote.
“Based on the number of cards we get for union recognition with the Teamsters, that percentage is very good,” said Katrina Wallace, who works at Corewell Hospital in Troy. “We’re doing this for the patients.”
Wallace, who is organizing the effort, said hospitals have been short on staff for some time. She says this has led to a decline in the quality of patient care and overworked nurses without protection if fatigue leads to malpractice cases.
“You could lose your license,” Wallace said. “No one wants mistakes to happen, but being exhausted can cause things to go wrong. That’s why hospitals need to be fully staffed, but instead We have corporate greed.”
Wallace said it remains an uphill battle and the timing of the vote will make it difficult to get the 50-plus-1 votes needed for full unionization as required by the NLRB.
“We asked for a mail-in ballot and were denied, even though hundreds of nurses sent letters explaining why,” Wallace told CBS News Detroit. “Currently, each of Corewell’s nine hospitals will have different implementation dates and hours, but all will coincide with the shift change.”
In a statement to CBS News Detroit, Corewell said:
“While we respect the right of our team members to consider joining a union, our ability to provide quality care to our patients and maintain a positive work environment depends on our direct collaboration with nurses.” We believe that this is best achieved through relationships.”
Wallace said she and her fellow nurses have tried the best practices suggested by Corewell executives, but they remain overworked and understaffed. That’s why this vote has to go in their favor, she said.
“A union will give us the power to advocate for patients and give us a voice in our profession,” Wallace said. “You’ll have 9,700 nurses behind the negotiating table. That’s a pretty powerful force.”
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