Nurses from Nationwide Children’s Hospital held a rally on Wednesday at Livingston Park to continue efforts to unionize.
A group of about 100 people held signs demanding for nurses to have a voice in their workplace with the hospital in the background.
Those who are advocating for a union claim low pay, staff shortages, insufficient paid time off, safety concerns, high insurance premiums and unfair treatment are driving factors in unionization efforts, according to an AFSCME Ohio Council 8 website.
Phil Streza, a registered nurse and BSN, is a firm believer in the formation of an NCH union after working at a previous unionized position at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
“There's only really four major providers in this city. And if you look at the population that we serve at this hospital, Nationwide Children's, there's really only one provider in the entire region,” Streza said. “And that creates a monopolistic dynamic where the employer has the ability to kind of dictate terms and conditions because they don't face any sort of external competition.”
Streza took a 25% pay cut in transitioning to work at NCH, which he attributes to the hospital being nonunionized. He believes the formation of the union would not only protect employees, but allow them to be better advocates for their patients.
“I think the staff deserve more, and I think that the city of Columbus and the community deserves more tenured staff to help take care of the most precious population,” Steza said.
Multiple nurses spoke during the rally about the importance of unionization as a tool for partnership with the hospital. The nurses who spoke included Josie Hensley, a pediatric intensive care unit RN at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
“We're not unionizing because we oppose Nationwide Children's Hospital, but because we care deeply about its future. We want it to remain a place to build long, sustainable careers. And we want conditions that allow us to fully live out the mission that brought us here — providing exceptional, compassionate care to children and their families,” Hensley said.
Currently, the NCH Nurses group is in the process of signing authorization cards in support of forming a union. Once organizers collect signed cards by 30% of the work force, then a petition may be raised to hold a secret-ballot election.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital provided the following statement regarding the nurses' unionization efforts:
“Nationwide Children’s values open, ongoing dialogue with our staff. With respect to the union’s 18-month effort to organize nurses at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we believe our staff deserves to have all available information so each team member can make an informed, personal decision. We fully respect the rights of our team members who are interested in exploring union representation. We also believe working collaboratively remains the best path forward to help us achieve our shared mission of best outcomes for children.
We are proud that Nationwide Children’s is nationally recognized for excellence in nursing and as a leading employer. Our culture is rooted in a shared mission focused on outstanding patient care, and the well-being and professional growth of our staff. This is reflected in the opportunities we provide for career development, work-life balance, and a safe, supportive, team-oriented environment.”
