From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Union organizers are touting a “landslide” victory as 89% of participating SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital nurses in Madison voted in favor of unionization, while their employer said it had hoped for “continued direct engagement” with nurses instead.
SEIU Wisconsin, the state’s largest healthcare union, says yesterday’s union election was the state’s largest in the private sector in at least 26 years. After voting was held between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. last night, the final count was 511-63, according to details provided by the union.
The union says the nurses are looking forward to working with SSM Health leadership on “solutions that raise standards for patient care and the nursing profession” in the region.
Following the vote, next steps include nurses filling out surveys to determine contract proposals and forming a negotiating committee.
“Nurses are calling on SSM to stop wasting precious resources on delay tactics and begin good faith contract negotiations as soon as possible,” the union said in a release. “SSM Health is now required by federal labor law to sit down and negotiate a union contract with the nurses.”
In a statement on the vote, SSM Health expressed gratitude to nurses who took the time to consider the “factual, educational information” it provided ahead of the National Labor Relations Board election.
“We would have preferred an outcome that allowed for continued direct engagement with our nurses,” the health system said. “Regardless, we remain committed to continuing to collaborate with our entire team to maintain a compassionate, high-quality, healing environment where we all can do our best work in living out our Mission to provide exceptional care for our patients.”
The statement notes that’s been the health system’s mission for more than 100 years and “one we hope SEIU Wisconsin will continue to respect.”
Nurses involved in the labor effort were targeting “extreme understaffing” issues at the Madison hospital as well as uncompetitive pay, according to the union. SEIU previously alleged SSM Health executives were engaged in “scare tactics” to discourage the union effort.
The union argues SSM Health has “more than enough resources” to negotiate a contract that addresses nurses concern, with $12.6 billion in operating revenue and $483 million in profits in 2025.
Amber Brown, a nurse in the hospital’s cardiac intermediate care unit, says the union effort aimed to ensure the nursing profession is sustainable.
“In order to be fully present with our patients, we need full staffing, resources, and support,” she said in a statement. “With our union, nurses will be a part of the conversation and what we say will matter.”
In yesterday’s release, SEIU also urged SSM health to “drop their unfounded objection” to charge nurses participating in the election, arguing they’re not considered supervisors under federal law. The health system did not address this demand in its statement.
See more in the union’s press release below.
— UW-Eau Claire is holding its Brain Injury Intensive Comprehensive Treatment Program for the second year in a row, offering recovery resources and other help for a dozen participants with brain injuries.
The university yesterday announced the five-day program this week has been providing valuable experience for students across various disciplines including speech language pathology and neuroscience.
Participants have been learning about the science of brain injuries and coping strategies, working together on advocacy projects as well as creative expression through writing and photography, and discussion related mental health challenges.
Called Brain In-Com for short, the program is co-sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin. The faculty lead, Dr. Jerry Hoepner, is a professor of speech, language and hearing sciences at the university. He says the second annual gathering has been “fantastic,” stressing the benefit for students.
“We filled all our spots and have three caregivers attending as well,” he said in the release. “We also expanded our reach throughout the state, welcoming attendees from Milwaukee, Wisconsin Rapids, Wausau, Gillett, Eau Claire and Eleva.”
See the release below.
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