Nurses rallied on March 25 at University Medical Center (UMC) in New Orleans as they began negotiations on their first union contract with LCMC Health, the hospital’s management. Nurses at UMC made history in December when they overwhelmingly voted to join National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), becoming the first unionized private-sector hospital in the state of Louisiana and members of the largest nurse’s union in the United States. Now, nurses say they’re prepared to negotiate a first contract that will set new standards for patient care and nurses’ working conditions across their city and entire state.
“We won our union election with a supermajority — 82 percent yes with 90 percent turnout, which is a clear mandate from our fellow nurses to fight for better conditions at UMC,” said Dana Judkins, RN, trauma intensive care unit at UMC. “Since the election, we’ve been talking to nurses about what our priorities are, and we’re ready to go to the table with a plan to win what we need for better patient care, better working conditions, and a better future for health care in New Orleans.”
“This rally marks a historic day for nurses across the entire South,” said Cathy Kennedy, RN, and president of California Nurses Association/NNOC, an NNU affiliate. “These nurses won the largest National Labor Relations Board election in their state in decades. We’re thrilled to see what history they’ll continue to make as they fight for a strong contract and show the world what nurses can accomplish when we get organized.”
National Nurses Organizing Committee represents nearly 600 nurses at University Medical Center, including registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs).