A group of emergency department physicians working at Providence Medford (Ore.) Medical Center filed with the National Labor Relations Board Feb. 10 for a union recognition election, according to an Oregon Nurses Association news release shared with Becker's.

The following hospital-union events have been reported by Becker's since Jan. 12. 

As hospitals and health systems vie for workforce talent, they are becoming even more creative with how they incentivize workers. 

More than 150 security guards and dispatchers, who work at several Stanford Health Care facilities and clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area, will have union representation.

Service Employees International Union kicked off contract negotiations on behalf of 22,000 members at facilities operated by Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare. 

Healthcare workers at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, Calif., have voted to join Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, according to hospital and union statements shared with Becker's.

Members of the Branch County Independent Nurses Association have approved a new contract with ProMedica Coldwater (Mich.) Regional Hospital, according to a Feb. 2 hospital statement shared with Becker's. 

Members of the New York State Nurses Association have voted to authorize a strike at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, N.Y., part of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health.

A delegation of registered nurses at Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport, Mass., delivered a petition to hospital administration on Feb. 2, calling for better pay and improved staffing, according to The Daily News of Newburyport.

The following hospital and health system human resources executives have recently been named to new roles: 

Members of the Service Employees International Union Local 1107 picketed outside Las Vegas-based University Medical Center of Southern Nevada on Jan. 30 to protest certain sick leave rules at the facility, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. 

Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association at Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital plan to hold an informational picket Feb. 1 to highlight their concerns related to patient care and working conditions at the facility.

St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls, Idaho, has launched an investigation after a photo of an employee "making an inappropriate hand gesture that is often interpreted as highly offensive" was posted on the hospital's social media sites, according to a hospital statement shared with Becker's.

Nurses at New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center are accusing hospital management of attempting to double retiree healthcare rates that were confirmed before and after a new contract was approved. Hospital leaders, meanwhile, contend they are adhering to contract provisions.

Thousands of nurses represented by National Nurses United plan to rally nationwide Jan. 26 to call on hospitals to provide safe staffing.

Members of the Branch County Independent Nurses Association at ProMedica Coldwater (Mich.) Regional Hospital voted Jan. 18 to authorize their bargaining committee to call a strike, radio station WTVB reported Jan. 21. 

Nurses at two New York City hospitals where strikes occurred earlier this month have approved three-year agreements with Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. 

As healthcare organizations strive to provide quality care in the face of an evolving payment, regulatory and employment landscape, a standardized approach to physician contract management can help to define their most vital relationships from the start, setting the stage for a more efficient — and safer — workforce. 

It's a great time to be a human resources professional, according to a Jan. 18 LinkedIn report. 

From Las Vegas to Oklahoma, mass layoffs are hitting hospitals and health systems nationwide. And with big-name companies like Microsoft announcing job cuts in bulk, firings are front-of-mind for many leaders.