Registered nurses at Longmont (Colo.) United Hospital voted to join the National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United, according to hospital and union statements.
The union announced the outcome in a March 28 news release, days after the National Labor Relations Board counted the remaining votes in a secret ballot election March 25.
According to the union, Longmont will be the first private-sector National Nurses United-affiliated hospital in Colorado, although the union represents VA Eastern Colorado Health Care system hospitals in Denver and Aurora.
"With the backing of the NNU, we will have a powerful collective voice to strengthen patient safety standards, improve infectious disease protocols, secure enforceable protections from workplace violence, and win other standards to help recruit new RNs and retain experienced nurses," Longmont RN Kris Kloster said in the release.
Longmont is part of Centennial, Colo.-based Centura Health and Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health.
In a statement shared with Becker's, Centura said Longmont nurses voted by one vote in favor of unionization, and the outcome must be certified by the NLRB — a process that usually takes up to seven business days if no election-related objections are filed.
"Throughout this process, our commitment to providing whole person care to our patients and vibrant communities has remained our top priority — and that will not change," the statement said. "We are neighbors serving neighbors, and local residents and the community will continue to receive the high-quality care that they have come to expect from LUH."