CMC Nurses Stand up for Union Rights, File Charges Against Hospital Management for Violating Federal Labor Law

ITHACA, N.Y. — The Communications Workers of America (CWA) union has filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Cayuga Medical Center (CMC) for violating federal labor law and the rights of union nurses at CMC.

CWA alleges that CMC management has unlawfully threatened and surveilled nurses, retaliated against a nurse, maintained unlawful work rules to prohibit nurses from discussing their union efforts, and bargained in bad faith by refusing to meet with the nurses’ bargaining committee at reasonable times, as required by federal law, and by closing the East Campus Cancer Center without notice or the opportunity to bargain.

“The administration's actions feel disrespectful of our legal rights, and it concerns me that there is such opposition to something that statistically will improve outcomes for patients,” said Shane Snyder, In-Patient Wound RN. “We voted overwhelmingly to unionize months ago, but we still haven't formally started negotiations. We want to start bargaining our contract, and I urge management to stop delaying and work with us to find a compromise.”

In unfair labor practice charges filed with the NLRB, CWA alleges that CMC management retaliated against a nurse by interfering with her outside employment. Other charges detail instances of threats or surveillance. A nurse reported being berated by management for discussing the union. Management allegedly used surveillance cameras to track a nurse putting out union flyers and threatened her for doing so.

“I’m disappointed and saddened that hospital leadership is choosing to not work in partnership with our union,” said Jacki Thompson, a 4N Educator. “Unionizing has provided us with an incredible opportunity to work collaboratively on problems inherent in healthcare, both nationally and locally. Instead, we are facing harassment and intimidation tactics, which only distract us from the work of patient care. The nurses want to move forward and are ready to sit down at the table with CMC leadership to negotiate a union contract that strengthens our workforce and continues the mission of the hospital.”

CMC nurses built their union as Cayuga United-CWA and voted 82 percent in favor to authorize CWA as their union in an NLRB election in January, overcoming a union-busting campaign run by hired consultants.

Nurses began organizing because of deteriorating conditions that impact both their working conditions and patient care. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have seen increasing short-staffing that can leave them caring for an unsustainable number of patients, compromising patient care and worker safety. Cayuga United-CWA represents more than 350 registered nurses at Cayuga Medical Center.

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About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion