The following is a roundup of recent events pertaining to hospital-union relationships, including strikes, rallies and new contract agreements. All events were reported within the last two months, beginning with the most recent.
1. New York State Nurses Association held pickets and rallies outside several hospitals in New York City April 16 to protest against unsafe staffing.
2. A labor union sued financially struggling Doctors' Hospital of Michigan in Pontiac, seeking a temporary restraining order against the hospital to block about 40 layoffs.
3. National Nurses United made a number of allegations against University of Chicago Medicine. The union, which filed the allegations with the National Labor Relations Board, claims the hospital is assigning nonunionized supervisors to take over duties of nurses who are in charge of units. The union also claims the hospital is not bargaining in good faith.
4. Some unionized physicians began a four-day walkout April 9, striking from their work at University of California student health centers
5. More than 100 licensed nurse practitioners and technicians at ACMH Hospital in Kittanning, Pa., went on strike March 31.
6. More than 500 SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members employed by Minneapolis-based Allina Health held an informational picket March 25 outside of Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis to highlight the need for safer staffing levels and other health and safety measures.
7. Union representatives picketed March 16 outside of facilities operated by Cincinnati-based Mercy Health in the wake of stalled contract negotiations.
8. Registered nurses at Sutter Roseville (Calif.) Medical Center held an informational picket March 5 in protest over safe staffing.
9. A group of Minnesota hospitals and unionized workers reached a tentative three-year deal in early March. The tentative agreement covers eight medical centers: Minneapolis-based Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services, HealthEast Care System in St. Paul, North Memorial Health Care in Robbinsdale, and St. Louis Park-based Park Nicollet Health Services (recently merged into HealthPartners).
10. Unionized nurses and other healthcare professionals participated in an informational picket March 4 at ACMH Hospital in Kittanning, Pa.
11. Buffalo, N.Y.-based Kaleida Health reached a wage agreement with Communications Workers of America/AFL-CIO, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and the International Union of Operating Engineers.
More articles on workforce and labor management:
Nurse scheduling rethought: Case study at Southampton Hospital
Study finds hiring a toxic employee leads to negative long-term effects
Union accuses University of Chicago Medicine of bargaining in bad faith