Nurses Face Tough Opposition To Forming Their Union

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have experienced increasing short-staffing that can leave them caring for an unsustainable number of patients, compromising patient care and worker safety. Nurses at Cayuga Medical Center (CMC) in Ithaca, N.Y., took steps last week to protect themselves and their patients by forming Cayuga United-CWA. The group of more than 350 nurses hoped to receive voluntary recognition of their union from hospital administration.

Those hopes proved short-lived, as, on December 8, members of Cayuga United-CWA were forced to file unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against CMC for holding a captive audience meeting in violation of federal labor law. During a mandatory meeting, a department director read a script of anti-union messaging that was purportedly prepared by the CMC legal department. Workers were reprimanded for speaking up to share their support for their union.

“By holding captive audience, anti-union meetings, Cayuga Medical Center has not respected the right of its nurses to freely organize,” said CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor. “CMC nurses are the heart of the Ithaca community and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect when they speak out to improve working conditions.”

Despite employer opposition, the nurses remain determined to win their union by NLRB election. Elected allies and community groups are rallying in support of their cause, including Assemblymember Anna Kelles and Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo.

 
Nurses at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca, N.Y., celebrated the kickoff of their union, Cayuga United-CWA, last week. They have since had to file an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB against hospital administration for subjecting them to a captive audience meeting.