As unions set their sights on the top of the healthcare food chain, this month also sees a bevy of developments for nurses and long-term care workers across the U.S.:
Michigan: Nursing home workers picketed earlier this month in Musgekon after announcing frustrations with SEIU negotiations; workers in Detroit and Flint plan to follow suit this week after the breakdown of contract negotiations.
New York: National Nurses United claimed a “historic” victory with new contracts after three-day strikes shut down partial operations at two major hospitals. This union also put thousands of nurses in rally mode across the U.S. this month.
California: Nurses rallied outside UCLA health facilities to demand better patient-to-caregiver ratios as hospitals continue to be overwhelmed; 340+ registered nurses at Adventist Lodi Memorial hospital voted to join the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United; 8,000 nurses at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center finally met the end of a 21-month-long contract battle.
Kansas: A second Wichita hospital saw nurses vote to join National Nurses United while demanding safer staffing practices.
Washington, D.C.: National Nurses United reached a new contract that requires MedStar Washington Hospital Center to recruit and hire 1,300+ nurses over the next three years and boost wages up to 33% for existing registered nurses.
Washington: The state Senate is attempting to pass a bill to address staffing shortages by guaranteeing extra benefits and time off for healthcare workers.
