Nurses in non-union hospitals do not have the strengths or protections of nurses in union hospitals. Unionized nurses have guaranteed rights, a contract to hold their employer accountable to, and the knowledge that their workplace won’t be changed without nurses’ input.
Furthermore, forming a union levels the playing field between workers and management, and gives nurses a way to meaningfully address workplace issues. Union nurses use their voices to bargain over terms and conditions of employment which include, but are not limited to, an employee’s job responsibilities, workdays, hours, breaks, vacation and sick days, pay, and benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, and retirement. Additionally, many nurses stand together to make improvements to their quality of care and quality of life at work, raising the standards for patients and nurses.
Contact Travis Thibodeau at mnaorganizing@mnnurses.org to learn more.
Recent Organizing Victories
- CHI St. Alexius, Bismarck ND
- Redwood Area Hospital, Redwood Falls
- Abbott-Northwestern WestHealth Emergency Department and Urgent Care, Plymouth
- Baudette Lakewood Health Center
- Bemidji Clinic