A group of nurses from four central Iowa hospitals is trying to form a union.
Hundreds of nurses work at UnityPoint hospitals in Des Moines and West Des Moines. An online petition indicates a group of them is working to have the Teamsters union represent nurses at Methodist, Lutheran and Blank Children’s Hospitals in downtown Des Moines and Methodist West Hospital in West Des Moines. The petition says they’re seeking safe staffing ratios as well as better insurance benefits, pay and improved working conditions to improve the health and safety of both patients and registered nurses.
UnityPoint executives say they are taking steps to support their nurses and learn from their feedback.
There are several steps before employees at a workplace can join a union. Thirty percent of employees in the group must agree to hold an election by signing cards that are presented to the National Labor Relations Board. Then a majority of all employees who would be represented have to vote to join the union. The Teamsters Union represents about 50,000 U.S. health care workers. That includes nearly 10,000 nurses at a group of Michigan hospitals who voted earlier this month to join the Teamsters.
The Service Employees International Union represents about 3800 employees who work at University of Iowa Health Care’s hospitals and clinics in Iowa City and Coralville.