The drive by nurses to win back their union the UW Hospitals took a big leap forward last week. Frank Emspak has the story.
SCRIPT: On June second attorney general Kaul concluded “ “that it is within the Authority’s statutory power to voluntarily engage in collective bargaining” . In this letter to the Governor the state said that there is no legal reason for the UW Hospitals and Clinics to refuse to voluntarily recognize the SEIU Health Care Wisconsin as the collective bargaining agent for the nurses at UW. SEIU has described the decision of the attorney general as game changer.
Labor Radio spoke with Becky McConnell, long time UW Nurse.
Labor radio asked nurse McConnell to explain to the listeners why this letter is so important?
TAPE: 32 seconds …bargaining with us.”
Has the letter changed the mood of the nurses as regards organizing and the union?
TAPE: 23 seconds … let us have the union”
What are the next steps for the organizing campaign?
TAPE: 8 seconds planning stages in our committee.
Patient care outcomes are intimately tied to nursing care. Labor radio asked Nurse McConnell to discuss the relationship between nursing care and the union’
TAPE 1:18 specialties that we have here.
In closing nurse McConnell asked the hospital board to do the right thing morally and for the patients;
TAPE: 30 seconds…. Letting us have our union.
Thanks to nurse Becky McConnell for this interview.
Reporting Courtesy of Frank Emspak, for Madison Labor Radio.
Image Courtesy of WORT News on Flickr
