Providence DC RNs Vote To Unionize
Thursday, December 12, 2013
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Braving freezing rain and snow that shut
down parts of the federal government,
registered nurses at Providence Hospital in
Washington, DC Tuesday night became the first
area non-union hospital in decades to vote to
join a union. In an election greeted by cheers
and tears, the Providence RNs voted 232 to 66
– a 78 percent margin – to join the
National Nurses Organizing Committee, an
affiliate of National Nurses United. The
National Labor Relations Board conducted the
secret ballot election. NNOC/NNU will represent
some 400 RNs at the hospital, which is a part
of St. Louis-based Ascension Health, the
country’s biggest Catholic hospital system.
“Providence RNs contacted NNOC/NNU because of
its enormous clout across the country and its
unprecedented achievements for nurses and
patients. We are thrilled to have won a
powerful collective voice for our patients and
our colleagues through NNOC/NNU,” said
Shirley Commissiong, an Emergency Room RN at
Providence. "The nurses at Providence have
spoken. Our main goal is quality patient
care,” said Providence Telemetry RN Donna
Cobey. “I'm so happy about our victory
which will set new standards for nurses in our
community." photo courtesy
NNU