Registered nurses at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey, Calif., have voted to unionize.
Of 750 eligible voters, 670 ballots were cast. The final tally showed 479 votes in favor of unionization and 191 against, according to the National Labor Relations Board, which conducted the election. The vote count was completed Jan. 30.
The nurses voted to join California Nurses Association, an affiliate of National Nurses United. The union will represent nearly 800 registered nurses at the hospital.
According to the union, nurses were motivated to organize due to concerns about staffing levels, which they say limit the amount of time they can spend addressing patients’ individual care needs.
“This is a great day for the Monterey Peninsula community and the patients we care for,” Kim Campbell, RN, said in a union news release. “I spent more than 30 years at CHOMP in the emergency department, and I recall when this was genuinely a community hospital and patient-focused institution. I am so pleased that by forming our union, we will now have a voice to advocate for our patients, create an environment that will help recruit and retain excellent nurses, and make improvements for our patients.”
Monica Sciuto, public information officer at Monterey-based Montage Health, the hospital’s parent organization, shared the following statement with Becker’s:
“Montage Health respects the outcome of the vote and the voices of our nurses at Community Hospital. We honor their decision and will work within the new framework to maintain our shared commitment to exceptional patient care and a positive work environment.”
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