Nurses at Via Christi St. Joseph file petition to unionize following St. Francis vote
Nurses at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph Hospital in Wichita have filed a petition to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board.
The petition, filed Friday, covers all full-time, regular part-time, and per diem registered nurses, as well as acting, and full-time charge nurses at the East Harry facility.
In a message to The Eagle, one nurse cited staffing shortages and insufficient security precautions for staff and patients as motivating factors for nurses to organize.
If a union vote succeeds, St. Joseph nurses would join their counterparts at Via Christi St. Francis, who voted 378 to 194 last November to join the National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United.
It’s not yet clear when a possible secret ballot union vote would take place.
“We do not believe unionization is necessary, although we recognize and respect the rights of associates to decide whether or not to unionize,” Ascension said in a statement Monday afternoon. “We firmly believe associates are better served when they are able to work directly and collaboratively with leaders rather than through unionization.
“We believe it is an important leadership responsibility to ensure associates have the facts about unionization so they can make a fully informed decision that is best for themselves and their families.”
Ascension is a nonprofit Catholic company that owns 143 hospitals and other health facilities in 19 states.
