If ever a time were ripe for unionizing healthcare workers, this is it. From PPE shortages to low staffing levels to deaths among coworkers, the COVID-19 pandemic has created incredible tension in the industry. Some sources say they are noticing an uptick in union interest among healthcare workers, but whether or not an uptick in interest actually leads to an uptick in membership remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, after voting to join SEIU District 1199 in the largest organizing effort since Virginia implemented its right-to-work law, nurses and NP’s at Cabell Huntington Hospital have approved their first union contract; and a hospital in Houston, Texas is offering a $500 bonus to employees who get the COVID-19 vaccine.
