Nurses at Ascension Seton Medical Middle in Austin, Texas, vote by landslide to affix Nationwide Nurses Organizing Committee/Nationwide Nurses United – Nationwide Nurses United

Nurses at Ascension Seton Medical Middle in Austin, Texas, (ASMCA) this week voted overwhelmingly, with 72 p.c in favor, to affix the Nationwide Nurses Organizing Committee/Nationwide Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the most important nurses’ union in america. Nurses mentioned they fashioned a union to win improved affected person care requirements and powerful contracts, they usually have seen NNOC/NNU’s confirmed observe report of doing simply that in Texas and all through the nation.

“This victory is just the start,” mentioned Geovana Hill, a registered nurse within the renal unit. “As nurses, we all the time have and all the time will stand dedicated to offering the very best high quality of care to our sufferers. We’re wanting ahead to bargaining for a good contract to enhance affected person security, in addition to aggressive wages to maintain Austin nurses working right here in our neighborhood. We’re greater than able to win a robust first contract, which can assist with nursing employees retention.”

ASMCA is now the most important private-sector hospital in Texas to type a union.

“We’re so pleased with the nurses at ASMCA who’re coming collectively and utilizing their collective energy to learn their neighborhood in Austin,” mentioned Jean Ross, RN and NNU president. “We all know it’s tough to arrange a union, and a few folks could also be unfamiliar with the advantages of unionization. However I can proudly share that NNOC/NNU has been in a position to safe contract provisions, in addition to laws, that enhance the working situations for nurses and the affected person care that nurses are in a position to present. ASMCA nurses will be a part of that proud legacy to battle for his or her sufferers in Austin.”

The 800 nurses at ASMCA will be a part of greater than 2,500 different Texas-based members of NNOC/NNU in El Paso, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville. Of their contracts, these NNOC/NNU nurses have secured agreements from their hospitals which mandated stricter enforcement of staffing grids, improved an infection management measures, together with a provision requiring single-use optimum safety with a suspected or confirmed Covid-19 affected person. Different notable Texas wins have included wage will increase of as much as 19 p.c over a three-year interval and the creation of a committees to advertise range, fairness, and inclusion on race, gender, age, and sexual orientation in hospital recruitment, retention, and promotion.

“We’re thrilled that we received our union election right here at Ascension Seton Medical Middle Austin and get to affix our fellow union nurses throughout the state in Corpus Christi, El Paso, and Brownsville,” mentioned Taylor Critedon, a registered nurse within the intensive care unit. “We hope that extra nurses in Austin will arrange and be a part of us in preventing for the very best requirements of care right here within the state capital and all through Texas.”

Nurses say they’re wanting ahead to working with ASMCA to handle points equivalent to short-staffing and nursing employees recruitment and retention.

“Throughout the pandemic, we noticed plenty of employees go away our hospital due to the worsening situations,” mentioned Matthew Clark, a registered nurse within the intensive care unit. “Ascension has greater than sufficient cash to retain nurses and supply higher situations. We’re excited to make use of our collective voice to advocate for our sufferers by preventing for safer staffing and higher working situations.”

ASMCA is owned by Ascension, one of many largest non-profit and Catholic well being techniques within the nation. In fiscal yr 2021, Ascension reported a net-income of greater than $6.4 billion {dollars}.

Following the ratification of this week’s vote, the nurses at ASCMA will type a bargaining committee and start negotiating a primary contract with the hospital administration.

Nationwide Nurses Organizing Committee is an affiliate of Nationwide Nurses United, the most important and fastest-growing union {and professional} affiliation of registered nurses in america with greater than 175,000 members nationwide.