Contact: Dave Bates, 347-865-8038, dave.bates@hailstonecommunications.com
Nurses say that instead of wasting resources trying to silence them, SSM executives should respect their overwhelming mandate to have a union voice and work with them to solve the urgent crisis of understaffing, burnout and turnover
Madison, Wis. – Now 1,200 strong after two landslide elections, nurses at St. Mary’s Hospital and Dean Medical Group clinics have filed expanded charges against SSM for breaking federal law by firing, threatening, and violating the rights of nurses. Almost 900 St. Mary’s nurses voted by 89% to form a union in June and 340 Dean nurses voted by 71% to unionize in September. Nurses say that instead of wasting resources trying to silence them, SSM should respect their overwhelming mandate to have a union voice, and immediately negotiate a contract to solve the urgent crisis of understaffing, burnout and loss of experienced nurses. Rather than intimidating them, nurses say the pressure tactics have made them more determined than ever to hold SSM accountable and raise standards for their patients and profession throughout the region.
“SSM’s scare tactics are a symptom of the broken healthcare system, and we’re building a powerful movement of nurses and our community to start fixing it, so our patients’ needs come first,” said Michelle Camilleri, who works at the SSM Health Dean Medical Group South Madison Campus. “I’ve worked in St. Mary’s Hospital and I’ve also floated through many Dean clinics, so I’ve seen how widespread the crisis is across our facilities. Very often, I was floated to a clinic and I’d be the only nurse there for up to 30 patients, sometimes without adequate orientation or training. That astronomical workload causes so much wear and tear on your body and mind, and it’s deeply unfair to the patients we serve. No matter how hard you work, you’re always running behind, and you go home worried sick wondering if there’s something you didn’t do. In addition to being overworked, we’re way underpaid, and I’ve seen many dedicated nurse coworkers leave SSM because they just couldn’t stand the conditions anymore. SSM is treating nurses and those we care for as just numbers that they can squeeze for more profits. But we are united to demand that SSM executives see us as people, and invest in staffing and retention of nurses so we can provide the care our patients deserve.”
The new charges, which were filed with the National Labor Relations Board, include terminating nurses for advocating for a union voice; compelling nurses to attend anti-union “captive audience meetings” on pain of discipline or discharge; threatening nurses with changes to terms and conditions of employment if they voted to form a union; surveilling nurses; destroying and confiscating nurses’ union information and materials; and discriminating against nurses by prohibiting the display of union informational materials and insignias while allowing the display of non-union related materials.
The recent charges follow a set of previous charges that St. Mary’s nurses filed in September, which include retaliating against multiple nurses with punitive disciplinary action; threatening nurses with discipline for activities supporting their union; and refusing to begin contract negotiations as required by federal law.
Nurses, elected leaders and community members say this kind of pressure campaign is especially harmful in a healthcare environment, because it distracts from patient care, wastes precious resources and causes further stress for the already over-burdened nursing workforce. They say the tactics of SSM, a Catholic health system based in St. Louis, also violate the moral values of both Wisconsinites and Catholic social teaching.
The elections at St. Mary’s Hospital and Dean clinics are part of a growing national wave of healthcare professionals – including nurses, doctors and others – organizing unions to have a strong voice and seat at the decision-making table. The surge in union organizing is in response to the consolidation of corporate power in the healthcare industry, where decisions are increasingly made by business executives in boardrooms, rather than healthcare professionals at the bedside. Healthcare corporations too often prioritize expansion, branding and executive compensation over the needs of patients, healthcare professionals say. This unbridled expansion of corporate power is also reflected in the wider economy, where rich elites are hoarding massive wealth while working Americans are struggling to survive with the rising cost of gas, groceries, housing and utilities.
Because of SSM’s relentless drive to make nurses take care of more patients with fewer resources, staffing levels at St. Mary’s are around 40% below the Madison Metro average – ranking last out of seven area hospitals – according to Medicare data.* Multiple clinical studies confirm that adequate nurse staffing levels are absolutely critical for patient safety and quality of care.
Throughout their efforts, St. Mary’s and Dean nurses were supported by union nurses at UW Health and Meriter. Meriter nurses have been able to negotiate a strong union contract with a voice in staffing, a pay scale that rewards years of experience, fair scheduling and other supportive policies.
While St. Mary’s nurses have been struggling, SSM had $12.6 billion in operating revenue, $1.1 billion in cash and cash equivalents, and $483 million in profits last year, and SSM’s CEO had $7.8 million in compensation in 2024. Nurses say SSM has both the moral responsibility and the resources to address their concerns. Moving forward, nurses hope to build a relationship with SSM based on mutual respect, open communication and cooperation on shared goals to ensure St. Mary’s and Dean are the healthcare providers and employers of choice.
*As measured by full time employees per adjusted occupied bed, an industry standard concept based on Medicare data.
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SEIU Wisconsin is the state’s largest and fastest-growing healthcare union, representing over 8,000 hospital, nursing home, home care and social service workers united to win quality care and good jobs for all.
