Nurses in the UnityPoint Health system who are organizing for a union held an event Aug. 20, 2025 at the UnityPoint hospital complex in Des Moines. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Nurses working at UnityPoint hospitals in Des Moines submitted a request Wednesday for voluntary recognition of a union, calling for the health care system to provide safer work space, better wages, and adequate staffing.
A group of UnityPoint nurses, supporters and Democratic candidates gathered near the entrance of the UnityPoint Health complex in Des Moines, calling for the hospital network to voluntarily recognize the union and begin negotiations as soon as possible. Alex Wilken, a critical care nurse, told the crowd he and two other nurses had returned from delivering a letter to UnityPoint executives requesting voluntary recognition through a card check agreement…