Cook County RNs to Unite with Healthcare Workers

Campaign Launched for Stronger Voice in Patient Care, Working Conditions

CHICAGO—Cook County Bureau of Health Services (CCBHS) healthcare employees—physicians, nurse assistants, pharmacists, and others—have announced a campaign to win a new union contract this fall that improves patient care and working conditions.

“For years, declining resources have made it difficult to keep needed services and provide the quality care our patients deserve,” said Jane Duda, a nurse anesthetist at Stroger Hospital. “Now that we’re united together, our voice is stronger than ever to advocate for better staffing and competitive salaries that recruit and retain dedicated caregivers.” Duda is a member of SEIU Healthcare Illinois and Indiana, the newly-consolidated union of all 85,000 SEIU members who work in hospitals, long term care, and other healthcare facilities.

Cook County’s registered nurses are taking steps to unite with their colleagues in the campaign by joining Nurse Alliance of SEIU Healthcare, the largest union of nurses in the country.

RNs are currently members of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) but leaders are seeking a union with greater expertise and political power in negotiating and winning healthcare reforms, especially in the public sector.

“Nurses want to see better nurse-to-patient ratios and more of the budget pie dedicated to patient care,” said Karen Northern, a registered nurse at Stroger Hospital. “Together with the doctors and the patient care team we work with every day at our hospitals, we have a better chance at making the changes we need.”

Joining SEIU would mean uniting with the largest union representing Cook County employees—altogether 5,500 members—including techs, housekeepers, and physicians. Known for the political strength of its 165,000 members statewide, the union has a solid record of fighting for additional revenues to prevent cuts and restore critical healthcare services, including mental health, obstetrics and gynecological care, and community clinics in underserved communities. In 2007, SEIU Healthcare members fought against County budget cuts, helping to keep County’s Provident Hospital open as a full-service, acute care facility.

For years, the nurses have been disappointed with their workplace representation and their lagging benefits. Despite voting in the CNA/NNOC in 2005, after years of being represented by the Illinois Nurses Association, they’ve seen no real improvements. Many nurses voiced frustration with the California union’s unfamiliarity with the County system and decided to turn to their co-workers, members of SEIU Healthcare, for assistance.

Dr. Justin Gandia, one of the attending physicians who voted in January to join SEIU Healthcare, emphasized the importance of all caregivers belonging to one union. “No matter what role we play within the County healthcare system, we all face incredible challenges to provide the best care to patients who depend on us and have nowhere else to turn,” said Dr. Gandia. “It’s never been more important for everyone at Cook County to be united together in one powerful organization to set the bar higher for patients and caregivers.”