For Immediate Release
Thursday, July 11, 1996
Nurses at Mercy Health Care and Rehabilitation Center Vote for Union Representation
Homewood (Chicago), Illinois —Nearly 60 nurses at the Mercy Health Care and Rehabilitation Center in Homewood yesterday took a decisive stand in favor of improving both their own working conditions, and the quality of patient health care when they voted to join the National Union of Hospital & Health Care Employees (NUHHCE), an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO. NUHHCE/AFSCME has long been a leader in the struggle to improve the working conditions of workers in a host of health care professions, including nurses and doctors.
Henry Nicholas, president of NUHHCE and an AFSCME international vice president, said the decision by Mercy nurses to organize "reflects not only the growing level of insecurity that many health care professionals feel on their jobs, but also a sincere concern for the quality of care that patients receive."
Dee Roberts, a licensed practical nurse at Mercy, said that several key issues led the Mercy nurses to vote in favor of joining the union, including widespread concerns about the rapidly changing health care environment; the manner in which nurses, as well as patients, are treated by hospital administrators; concerns about job security; and a desire for greater respect on the job as professional employees.
Carmen Gonzalez, a registered nurse at the facility and a strong proponent for establishing a bargaining unit for Mercy nurses, said, "As a professional, I've come to realize that the best way to take care of my patients, as well as myself, is through a harmonious working relationship with my employer. And that's what our union will strive for."
Last month, NUHHCE/AFSCME succeeded in organizing some 2,600 nurses in the Sharp HealthCare System in San Diego, California. Throughout Southern California, nurses voted to gain union representation by an overwhelming majority (nearly 2-to-1). As with the Mercy nurses, the concerns of nurses at Sharp focused mainly on the quality of patient care and on a profound desire among nurses for respect as professionals at various health care institutions.
Dr. Dan Lawlor, a family physician and vice president of NUHHCE/AFSCME local 1199, said "Nurses are incredibly motivated to organize. They do so for many good reasons: to gain self respect, to improve or maintain the quality of patient care, and to guarantee basic fairness in the workplace. If it wasn't for nurses, where would our health care system be? We assist the nurses at Mercy, and the thousands of nurses we represent around the country, with pride."
