At first glance, nurses from Montgomery County, Md., have created a sizable grassroots effort to unionize. More than 50 turned out at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring on Monday to rally in the cold.
But it was the anti-union nurses that appeared truly grassroots.
Not even half of the pro-union participants sported Holy Cross IDs or nurses’ scrubs. While some were former Holy Cross nurses, others have worked for AFL-CIO, AFCSME, Teamsters and the Democratic National Convention, according to the rally’s Facebook event.
The National Nurses United union has been working to unionize Holy Cross for the last year. Nurses in favor of unionization say the hospital is understaffed, which puts patients at risk. “We are often stretched too thin to be able to do our jobs for the safety of the patients,” said Suzanne Mintz, a Holy Cross nurse who favors the union.
However, a coalition of nurses called Union Free HC is fighting unionization, arguing that it would tarnish the nurse-patient relationship. Approximately 10 Holy Cross nurses took to the streets during the pro-union rally, some staying after an overnight shift. “Unions have devolved from protecting workers rights to becoming political organizations protecting their own interests,” said Sheila Vicenzi, who’s been a nurse for 31 years.
Without the boost from outside unions, the pro- and anti-union sides would have nearly matched. NNU’s participation was a given, but organizers downplayed the union participation. Mintz identified outside participants as community members, clergy and Maryland politicians.
Nurses who have worked in the past in unionized hospitals have fueled the anti-union sentiment. Lucy McDonald, who opposes the union and who has been a nurse for 36 years, said a union failed to keep the nurse-patient ratio low at a previous hospital where she worked.
Nurses have every right to communicate with unions, but they shouldn’t bus in outsiders to overpower a vocal anti-union group. The rally intended to broaden support among nurses to begin the unionizing process. The National Labor Relations Board requires signatures from 30 percent of workers in a proposed bargaining unit before workers can petition for a union elections process. NNU dues average $663 annually.
Ironically, the big union-backed nurses wrote off the counter-protesters as hospital administration lackeys. This argument does not add up with on-duty nurses who supported the cause, but wouldn’t risk their jobs to walk out. Even some nurses would not identify themselves for fear of retribution. One unidentified nurse said in spite of the administration’s position, “This is a free country. We can speak for ourselves.”
Hospital officials accommodated the protests and made efforts to schedule meetings with pro-union supporters. “We respect our employees’ rights to explore associations with third-party organizations. However, we also have significant concerns that the involvement of any third-party organization in our workplace could disrupt the open and collaborative workplace we have long worked to maintain,” said the hospital in a statement.
It’s unfortunate that unionizing is dividing nurses, because they all share a common objective of protecting their patients.
Yet the consequences of a strike can be deadly for patients. A study of New York hospitals during 50 strikes over 20 years has shown a relation between strikes and increased patient deaths. The study revealed in-hospital deaths increased by 19.4 percent when strikes were occurring.
With patients at stake, it’s no wonder nurses are standing against union interference.
Emily Leayman (@EmilyLeayman) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. Previously, she was an intern at the Washington Examiner.
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