Nurses at UPMC's Magee-Womens Hospital have voted to unionize with SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania. About 1,000 registered nurses will be represented by the union, a major milestone in SEIU's long-running effort to organize UPMC's flagship hospitals in Oakland.
Nurses cast their ballots on Aug. 19 and 23. Votes were counted over the weekend, according to SEIU, with the final count tallying 402 to 305 in support of joining the union.
"My coworkers and I are absolutely overjoyed to finally win a union voice for our patients, our profession and our community," Jenna Berry, a registered nurse at the Magee Women's Cancer Center said in a statement. "We call on UPMC executives to respect the voice of the clear majority and begin negotiations with us right away."
UPMC did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
One of the region's largest labor and delivery centers, where nearly half of Allegheny County's babies are born each year, organizing nurses at Magee-Womens Hospital could be a watershed moment for SEIU. The union has sought to organize UPMC hospitals for more than a decade.
Magee nurses are the latest in a national trend of medical professionals organizing across the country, often citing burnout, working conditions and a desire for more input over patient care. All three were issues highlighted by Magee nurses as they sought to organize with SEIU over the last year.
"The healthcare system in our state and our country has been heading in the wrong direction, and that's why doctors, nurses, advanced practitioners and other healthcare workers are standing up for ourselves and those we care for," said Ashley Grieco, a registered nurse in Magee's neonatal intensive care unit. "We have to take a stand for our professions and our community, because we've learned that no one else will."
SEIU has claimed that the size of the Magee nurses unit marks the biggest union election in recent Pennsylvania history. A smaller group of Magee health professionals, known as advanced practitioners, are set to vote on whether to form another unit in September.
Magee nurses are now expected to begin negotiations with UPMC to draw up their first union contract.
"The input of all nurses and all departments is important in our contract negotiations to ensure Magee continues to be the very best place to practice nursing and receive medical care," Berry said. "We look forward to working with UPMC for the future success of our hospital."
Magee nurses plan to hold a rally Tuesday to celebrate with the community at Zelema Parklet, near the hospital.
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