Nurses from UnityPoint Health’s Iowa Methodist Medical Center marched in Des Moines to demand recognition of their union by the National Labor Relations Board, which for six months has been considering a dispute over a December certification vote.
The Monday, June 8, march went from the Iowa Capitol to the hospital, which is part of a network that includes Blank Children’s Hospital, Iowa Lutheran Hospital and Methodist West Hospital and employs 1,800 nurses.
The United Nurses of Iowa began its unionization drive in November 2024, advocating for fair compensation, improved health care benefits, safe staffing ratios and better working conditions “that prioritize the health and safety of both patients and registered nurses,” according to the Teamsters Local 90 website.
Shortly after the election took place, UnityPoint Health filed a petition with the NLRB, which supervised the election and vote counting, claiming the union used coercion and intimidation to prevent anti-union votes. The petition also said the NLRB lacks the number of votes needed to certify election results and that it failed “to maintain the secrecy, integrity, sanctity, and gravitas of the election and voting process.”
Of ballots counted, 871 favored the union and 666 opposed it, but another 251 ― enough to determine the outcome ― were disputed.
The NLRB did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
“We would love to see the board move faster,” union Principal Officer Alano De La Rosa said. “It would be great to have a message from them tomorrow saying we’ve got a hearing date to hear the objections.”
But De La Rosa said the union’s “primary frustration” is over what it sees as UnityPoint’s role in delaying the process.
Kevin Kirkpatrick, a UnityPoint Health spokesperson, said the company is following the NLRB’s process and “waiting for the results like everyone else.”
“We filed some objections to how the votes were handled, and that is what is taking the NLRB so long,” Kirkpatrick said. “They need to rule on that in order to finalize the election.”
“We will continue to follow the NLRB’s established process as these matters are reviewed to ensure every nurse’s voice is heard and valued,” UnityPoint said in a statement. “Our nurses are essential to the exceptional care we provide, and we deeply value the skill, compassion and commitment they bring to our patients and communities every day.”
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: UnityPoint Health nurses march as wait for union vote result drags on
Reporting by Veronica Meiss, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Veronica Meiss, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
