Madison, WI – Spring of 2019 signaled the end of an era, one that had not been befitting of Wisconsin’s long standing socialist history, where the state had always been blue. Governor Tony Evers was sworn in; and what was promised was a light at the end of the tunnel for workers all over the state.
Wisconsin was a Republican-led state for 8 years under Governor Scott Walker, who gutted unions by introducing Act 10, turning Wisconsin into a right-to-work state. It spelled the end of public sector unions and the end of the union at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority (UWHCA). In 2014, the last contract for the nurses expired and it was not renewed, much to the dismay of the 2,000 registered nurses working in the UW health system.
Under Act 10, the labor law that prevented the contract from being renewed, it was said that nurses could not form a union. Research was done and it was determined that the changes to the labor law under Act 10 did not necessarily apply to UWHCA employees; they are public only for purposes of the pension, but for other matters are private. They are neither covered by Act 10 or the National labor relations board (NLRB). What this means is that if the nurses can force the UWHCA board to recognize their union, and negotiate a contract with them, Act 10 does not bar it. This is something that caused the nurses to start buzzing, and with Evers in office, there was a renewed hope for getting the union back.
It was around this time that there was a concerted and focused effort by the nurses to win back their union, and it was done with genuine zeal. They began to circulate authorization cards, and a small committee began to meet one-on-one with UWHCA board members, talking to them about voluntary recognition. Throughout the next year, many victories were achieved. Numbers of nurses who attended board meetings went from 130 to 240 between January and February of 2020. Collective bargaining was on the horizon, but unfortunately, something else dropped on the world in March of 2020.
Covid exploded upon society like an atomic bomb and there was no one who felt its effects like the healthcare world, particularly nurses.
“We were visited by our managers’ manager recently to hear our complaints about Covid, among other things. Just to clarify I could talk about the Covid safety issues for days. My motivation for unionizing just started long before Covid,” Alex Dudek, UW nurse said.
“When I began working at UW 17 years ago, we had a union, and the patients and employees were the main focus. Since management stopped recognizing our union, I have compiled a long list of major cuts that have negatively impacted nurses and public health. The staffing ratios of nurses to patients have worsened, continuing education has been dramatically cut, new nurse training hours were lowered and incentives to retain experienced nurses were eliminated. Our health insurance costs have increased and paid time off has been reduced. I know from firsthand experience that the best way to make UW focused on quality care again is through having a strong, independent union voice.” said Shari Signer, registered nurse at UW Health.
It was in this timeline that Dr. Alan Kaplan, CEO at UWHCA moved forward with making some improvements – most notably, beefing up shared governance. What is that exactly? It is the nurse’s ability to be able to move and have a voice in decisions regarding their work. The difference is that with a union contract, they will have that, but it will be a legally binding contract that will enforce accountability.
Seven months later, the nurses at Meriter Hospital, another hospital in the UW system began preparations for their own contract renewal. Through settling at the point of a strike, a threatened walkout, the Meriter nurses win their union back by a show of force – Solidarity rallies, pledges not to cross from RN’s and labor, including letters to their employers.
“The pandemic exposed deep, systemic problems throughout our hospitals,” Carol Lemke told the Wisconsin Examiner. “We have struggled with inadequate personal protective equipment, understaffing and a lack of transparency from management.” There have been instances of nurses wearing PPE and gowns that are long past the point of throwing out, putting everyone at risk.
Now, the nurses are working with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Wisconsin. The foremost labor law attorneys in the state, Pines Bach, issued a memo to the public stating that it has been determined conclusively that the UWHCA board can recognize their union voluntarily. The efforts continued to make headway and in September 2021, the city council passed a resolution of support for the registered nurses of UWHCA and called on the board to schedule a vote for an election by the end of the year. Nurses began circulating election demand cards, with a goal of 800-1000. With an overwhelming majority, the board should just recognize the union.
As of 09/20/21, the Madison City Council voted unanimously to support the nurses’s union – a massive win for the effort. This meant that the city council would put pressure on the UW health board to recognize the union for the nurses.
It is a true testament to the spirit of the healthcare workers in Wisconsin. They are able to pull the 16-hour shifts required of them at the hospital, unable to enjoy any semblance of a life outside of work. Yet, they organized to get their union back, illustrating the true urgency of collective bargaining.
Under Act 10, the labor law that prevented the contract from being renewed, it was said that nurses could not form a union. Research was done and it was determined that the changes to the labor law under Act 10 did not necessarily apply to UWHCA employees; they are public only for purposes of the pension, but for other matters are private. They are neither covered by Act 10 or the National labor relations board (NLRB). What this means is that if the nurses can force the UWHCA board to recognize their union, and negotiate a contract with them, Act 10 does not bar it. This is something that caused the nurses to start buzzing, and with Evers in office, there was a renewed hope for getting the union back.
It was around this time that there was a concerted and focused effort by the nurses to win back their union, and it was done with genuine zeal. They began to circulate authorization cards, and a small committee began to meet one-on-one with UWHCA board members, talking to them about voluntary recognition. Throughout the next year, many victories were achieved. Numbers of nurses who attended board meetings went from 130 to 240 between January and February of 2020. Collective bargaining was on the horizon, but unfortunately, something else dropped on the world in March of 2020.
Covid exploded upon society like an atomic bomb and there was no one who felt its effects like the healthcare world, particularly nurses.
“We were visited by our managers’ manager recently to hear our complaints about Covid, among other things. Just to clarify I could talk about the covid safety issues for days. My motivation for unionizing just started long before covid” says Alex Dudek, nurse in the TLC unit at the UW hospital in Madison.
“When I began working at UW 17 years ago, we had a union, and the patients and employees were the main focus. Since management stopped recognizing our union, I have compiled a long list of major cuts that have negatively impacted nurses and public health. The staffing ratios of nurses to patients have worsened, continuing education has been dramatically cut, new nurse training hours were lowered and incentives to retain experienced nurses were eliminated. Our health insurance costs have increased and paid time off has been reduced. I know from firsthand experience that the best way to make UW focused on quality care again is through having a strong, independent union voice.” said Shari Signer, Registered nurse at UW Health.
It was in this timeline that Dr. Alan Kaplan, CEO at UWHCA moved forward with making some improvements – most notably, beefing up shared governance. What is that exactly? It is the nurse’s ability to be able to move and have a voice in decisions regarding their work. The difference is that with a union contract, they will have that, but it will be a legally binding contract that will enforce accountability.
Seven months later, the nurses at Meriter Hospital, another hospital in the UW system began preparations for their own contract renewal. Through settling at the point of a strike, a threatened walkout, the Meriter nurses win their union back by a show of force – Solidarity rallies, pledges not to cross from RN’s and labor, including letters to their employers.
“The pandemic exposed deep, systemic problems throughout our hospitals,” Carol Lemke told the Wisconsin Examiner. “We have struggled with inadequate personal protective equipment, understaffing and a lack of transparency from management.” There have been instances of nurses wearing PPE and gowns that are long past the point of throwing out, putting everyone at risk.
Now, the nurses are working with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Wisconsin. The foremost labor law attorneys in the state, Pines Bach, issued a memo to the public stating that it has been determined conclusively that the UWHCA board can recognize their union voluntarily. The efforts continued to make headway and in September 2021, the city council passed a resolution of support for the registered nurses of UWHCA and called on the board to schedule a vote for an election by the end of the year. Nurses began circulating election demand cards, with a goal of 800-1000. With an overwhelming majority, the board should just recognize the union.
As of 09/20/21, the Madison City Council voted unanimously to support the nurses’s union – a massive win for the effort. This meant that the city council would put pressure on the UW health board to recognize the union for the nurses.
It is a true testament to the spirit of the healthcare workers in Wisconsin. They are able to pull the 16-hour shifts required of them at the hospital, unable to enjoy any semblance of a life outside of work. Yet, they organized to get their union back, illustrating the true urgency of collective bargaining.
