Patient Care Workers Affiliate with CWA in Iowa

Nearly 100 patient care employees at Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg, Iowa, voted to affiliate with CWA Local 7170, part of an ongoing joint organizing effort with the Operating Engineers, said CWA District 7 Vice President Annie Hill.

The workers – registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants – joined with 80 other non-patient care workers at the hospital on Feb. 22 to affiliate with an umbrella organization that Local 7170 formed with the Operating Engineers to improve health care workers' bargaining power in the region.

"By working together to help employees organize their hospitals wall-to-wall, we will make it more difficult for management to pit one group of workers against another during negotiations," said Local 7170 President Bonnie Winther. President Bill Zeigler of CWA Local 7172, a statewide telecom local, put the Palo Alto workers in contact with Local 7170 and provided assistance throughout the campaign.

Last fall, Local 7170 organized a unit of 100 RNs, LPNs, and CNAs at Lakes Regional Health Care Hospital in Spirit Lake, Iowa, where the technical, clerical, custodial and food service employees are represented by the Operating Engineers. Bargaining talks or preparation for bargaining are now underway at both hospitals.