Centerpoint Medical Center nurses remove union

[Earth Bound Misfit]

http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/1178394.html

By RANDOLPH HEASTER
The Kansas City Star

Centerpoint nurses decisively voted to oust Nurses United Local 5126, with 226 nurses choosing to remove the union and 78 voting to keep the bargaining unit, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

The labor agency conducted the election April 23 and 24. Fifty-two votes were challenged and not counted, and 24 employees chose not to vote. Both Centerpoint and Nurses United confirmed the vote counts.

The union’s ouster comes 17 months after nurses voted to bring the union in. During that time, Local 5126 negotiators could not reach a first contract with Centerpoint management, leading a group of nurses to seek the decertification election last November.

“We are very pleased with the results of the election,” said Carolyn Caldwell, the hospital’s chief executive officer, in a statement. “Our nurses finally had their voice heard, and they told the union they didn’t need a third party stepping in between them and hospital management.”

Mary Nash, Local 5126 president, said she was trying to understand what went wrong for the union. One-on-one meetings that management held in recent weeks with younger nurses apparently had an effect, she said.

“It appears the nurses were intimidated so much they weren’t even upfront with their colleagues about which way they planned to vote,” she said. “It was a vicious anti-union campaign.”

Union opponents have said they were harassed by Nurses United supporters in the period leading up to the election.

More at link

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. One step up,

two steps back................

[LakeSamish706]

2. I guess time will tell as to this decission.... Best wishes for these nurses.... I know one thing..

I would not have continued working outside of a Union in my days of employment.

[TennesseeBlueDog]

3. Can we stand by and waste a birthright on lame unions?

You guys can post the usual party line if you want but know that you are full of shit.

It shows that you are not a nurse at Centerpoint nor do you know anything about this issue. This union sucks. No, let me say this in a more accurate way. This union, AFT Healthcare Midwest, a part of the American Federation of Teachers is an out an out embarrasment. I am a 5th generation union proud American and I voted NO. If they come around again I will vote N

The union pissed on the brand, they put out stupid messenges and they could not get the organizers to do the simplest of tasks.
Give us a union. We will help. Leave these guys around, we will laugh out loud with management.