Chicagoland nurses demand Endeavor stop union busting
Chicago, IL – On the morning of June 10, nurses organizing with Teamsters Local 743 rallied against Endeavor Health’s union busting campaign and demanded the reinstatement of two pro-union nurses recently terminated at Evanston Hospital.
The rally was attended by several dozen nurses who work at Endeavor Health, Teamsters from Local 743, JC 25, and Teamster locals around the Chicagoland area. In support were local officials, Jobs with Justice Chicago, and many community members, totaling well over 100 people.
Dave Bernt with Teamsters Joint Council 25 said in his opening remarks, “Over the last year nurses at Endeavor have been organizing with Teamsters Local 743 to win union representation so that they can have a voice in their working conditions and in patient care. It is these nurses’ right under federal law to do so and it is Endeavor Health’s obligation to respect those rights.”
Last month, during Nurses Week, two nurses were fired while handing out union literature and gift bags to their fellow nurses, an act which is their federally protected right as workers.
ICU nurse Stacey Oswald shared, “Last year during Nurses Week, many of my colleagues were told they’d receive pay cuts ranging anywhere from $9000 to $30,000 per year.” The pay cuts and understaffing pushed pro-union nurses to organize their coworkers with the help of Teamsters Local 743.
Since beginning their organizing efforts with the Teamsters, Endeavor has used union-busting tactics and campaigns with the goal of shutting down their organizing efforts. A month ago, again during Nurses Week, Endeavor used hospital public safety officers to spy on and harass nurses while they were exercising their legally protected rights to pass out union literature and talk with their coworkers about forming a union.
Two highly respected pro-union nurses were fired in an effort to chill the momentum of their organizing campaign. Multiple charges have been filed with the National Labor Relations Board.
Speaking to her fellow nurses at the rally. Endeavor nurse and organizing leader Tricia Poreda concluded her speech by calling those that have not signed their authorization cards to sign.
Poreda stated, “Endeavor has not been quiet about how they feel about us having a seat at the table and you shouldn't be quiet either!”
After this, the nurses marched to the Endeavor Health Corporate Center and delivered a letter addressed to the CEO of Endeavor Health, J.P. Gallagher, demanding that Endeavor Health must immediately reinstate the two terminated nurses, respect nurses’ right to organize a union and discuss union matters, and end all surveillance, intimidation and interference with nurses engaging in their right to organize.