A potential unionization vote among nurses is in the making at Baltimore-based The Johns Hopkins Hospital, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Here are five things to know.
1. Some Johns Hopkins nurses are trying to form a union with help from National Nurses United, a union and professional association of registered nurses claiming more than 150,000 members in every state.
2. Nurses looking to unionize cite what they deem to be short-staffing at Johns Hopkins and claim they are overworked and paid less than their counterparts at other hospitals in the region, according to the report.
3. The hospital did not discuss details of the organizing efforts with The Baltimore Sun, but did offer the publication a statement.
"At The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the nurses are critical to providing world-class care to our patients and their families, and we are committed to maintaining our longstanding culture of collaboration and open communication with them and with all of our employees," said the hospital. "While there apparently has been limited contact by a … labor union with some of our nurses, our focus remains on our patients, employees and community."
4. In order for a vote on unionization to occur, the majority of the hospital's 3,200 nurses would have to sign cards expressing their interest in such an election. The National Labor Relations Board would then supervise an election if it occurred.
5. A timeline for signature gathering has not been determined.
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