Nurses at University Medical Center in New Orleans have voted to join the National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United.
From Dec. 7 to Dec. 9, nurses voted 82% in favor of unionization with more than 90% turnout, according to a union news release. Altogether, 74% of eligible voters voted in favor of unionization.
"Nurses at our hospital wanted a voice so we can speak up for our patients and ourselves, and we wanted a seat at the table to be involved in shaping the future of our hospital," Dionne Jones, RN, said in the release. "Now that we've won our union, we have both."
Union members say they specifically want to address their concerns regarding working conditions, staffing and safety.
University Medical Center shared the following statement with Becker's: "Our nurses voted, and a majority of those who participated voted to unionize. University Medical Center New Orleans leadership thanks everyone for participating, and we will continue to work with the National Labor Relations Board and operate consistently with the processes established by the National Labor Relations Act. As a hospital, our focus remains the same — to provide exceptional patient care that honors the Spirit of Charity."
With the recent vote, UMC is now the first private-sector hospital to be unionized in Louisiana, and it marked the largest National Labor Relations Board election in Louisiana in nearly three decades, according to the union.
NNU represents hundreds of thousands of nurses across the U.S. University Medical Center is part of New Orleans-based LCMC Health.