Nurses Charge Washington Hospital Center With Violating Federal Law

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Registered nurses at the District’s largest hospital charge that Washington Hospital Center is violating federal labor law by refusing to meet with nurse representatives, undermining the ability of nurses to address patient safety problems and the ability of the hospital to recruit new RNs. The RNs, who are represented by National Nurses United, the largest union and professional association of registered nurses in the US, filed unfair labor practice charges on Feb. 23 with the National Labor Relations Board. NNU represents 1,600 RNs at Medstar Washington Hospital Center. “Barring our union representative from our hospital is one example of management’s attempt to thwart nurses from acting to speak out on behalf of better patient care,” said Stephen Frum, RN and chief shop steward at the hospital. Frum called the hospital’s action “a desperate attempt to keep nurses from enforcing our collective bargaining agreement. Nurses will not be intimidated and we will continue to advocate for our rights and the rights of our patients.” NNU also took aim at Washington Hospital Center owner Medstar’s advertising campaign. “Medstar management projects one image in our community,” said Lori Marlowe, RN and chair of the Nurses’ Professional Practice and Patient Safety Committee at the facility. “But nurses who care for our region’s sickest patients see an entirely different one." - photo of AFSCME picket at Washington Hospital Center in February by Julia Kann