When Sarah* began working as a nurse at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland, during the summer of 2015, she thought she had finally found her dream job in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. But as some of her fellow nurses started talking about unionizing, her dream became a nightmare.
Six months after she began working at Holy Cross, National Nurses United began organizing there. If the union proves it has support among 30 percent of Holy Cross nurses, they can file with the National Labor Relations Board to have an election. If they succeed, they will be the exclusive bargaining representative of the nurses under federal labor law.
Early in the union’s organizing drive, Sarah went to a few meetings with an open mind to learn more about the union. Union supporters argued that Holy Cross Hospital’s nurse-to-patient ratios were insufficient and that the union could fix them.
Sarah decided that the union was not for her based on past experiences. She had worked at an unionized hospital and understood if nurses walk out, patients suffer.
Research can back up her claim. A 2010 MIT study of New York hospitals found patient deaths increased by 19.4 percent during 50 strikes over 20 years.
But while Sarah respectfully listened to the pro-union pitch, the nurses in her unit couldn’t do the same for her. Sarah has tried to avoid confrontations but has argued her position to pro-union nurses when approached. She told me in an interview nurses often tried to talk over her and have said that she “better get on board” and stop talking to management about the union.
As pro-union nurses increasingly became aware of Sarah’s beliefs, the consequences became more serious.
According to Sarah, one pro-union nurse told her that the “longevity” of her career at Holy Cross was at risk if she continued to stand against the union, a clear threat. Other times, Sarah overheard co-workers conspiring against her when they thought she had left the room. She heard them say they hoped to catch her making a mistake to use against her.
“This … conversation was particularly hurtful and eye-opening for me because one of the participants was someone that I had previously considered a friend,” she said.
If Sarah’s account is accurate, union supporters at Holy Cross may have committed a serious labor violation. Any threat against her job because she opposes union activities is forbidden under the National Labor Relations Act.
Sarah is not alone in her opposition. Nurses, mainly from the emergency unit, have formed a group called Union-Free HC. The grassroots group believes a silent majority of the hospital’s 1,100 nurses opposes unionizing.
Yet unlike emergency room nurses who have numbers in their opposition, Sarah works in the unit that initially pushed for unionization.
Sarah stresses that other nurses have the right to join a union, but others should not have to pay dues. Maryland is not a right-to-work state, meaning union membership or paying dues can be a condition of employment.
The young nurse is torn about whether her estrangement from coworkers is enough to force her to leave her dream job. “The best thing in the world is to send a baby home with their parents,” she said.
Before the nurses had unionizing on their minds, co-workers helped Sarah to become more confident in her work.
“When I first started there it was such a collaborative environment,” she said. “People really came together when someone needed something.”
Now she believes the union issue has divided the workplace.
Sarah wanted to become a doctor when a family matter changed her perspective. When her cousin was in the hospital, nurses made the family comfortable enough to go home and rest. “The nurses were the ones that made a day-to-day difference for my family,” said Sarah.
Demand for nurses could grow 16 percent through 2024, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Data suggests supply will not meet demand, and nurse shortages have grown since the mid-1960s. This does not bode well for patients, especially with retired Baby Boomers creating a bigger demand for medical care.
How sad that the union has made Holy Cross holy hell for Sarah and hundreds of nurses.
*The nurse’s name has been changed at her request.
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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