Pressure Mounts On Hospital Center To Settle Contract

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Pressure on Washington Hospital Center (WHC) mounted yesterday when ten DC Council members urged WHC to settle its ongoing labor dispute and the National Nurses Union (NNU) filed new charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In a letter to hospital president John Sullivan, the Council members wrote, “We are deeply concerned that the dispute between the Washington Hospital Center and National Nurses United continues without resolution.”  The letter cites the nurses’ concern about safe staffing, the lack of respect shown by managerial staff to the nurses, and the hospital administration’s attempt to rescind hard-won economic gains from the nurses.  “These issues of course have an impact on the hospital’s ability to attract and retain qualified and experienced nurses,” the Council members wrote.  “It was disturbing to hear that the turnover rate of nurses at the hospital has exceeded 13% annually for the past six years.” The letter was spearheaded by Council Member Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr., in whose ward the hospital resides.  Other Council members who signed the letter were Michael A. Brown, Sekou Biddle, Marion Barry, Yvette Alexander, Tommy Wells, Phil Mendelson, Jim Graham, Muriel Bowser and Kwame R. Brown. “We are very pleased that these Council members expressed their concern to hospital management,” said Joe Cassidy, RN, a nurse who works in the emergency room at the Washington Hospital Center.  “Management’s continued attack on nursing standards and its failure to address our patient safety concerns are getting noticed throughout our community and we are grateful that the political leadership of this city is willing to hold MedStar Health accountable.” The Council members’ letter followed on the heels of another charge filed by NNU with the NLRB, alleging that WHC has blocked union access to its members in the hospital, spied on and  threatened the union and its members, engaged in bad-faith bargaining, discriminated against a union member to discourage her active participation and membership in the union, and improperly ceased dues check-off for the nurses. Previous charges against the hospital are still pending before the NLRB. NNU has announced plans for a one-day strike on Friday, March 4 to protest WHC's ongoing unfair labor practices and to demand a fair agreement for the dedicated nursing staff. – photo: dozens of nurses made signs on Wednesday, February 23 in preparation for next week’s 1-day strike at Washington Hospital Center; photo by Chris Garlock