DES MOINES, Iowa — Nurses at UnityPoint Health gathered Wednesday to gain support as they prepare for an October vote to determine if they will unionize.
UnityPoint Heath nurses began working with Teamsters Local 90 in November 2024 claiming workers were facing pay cuts, worker shortages, unsafe conditions, and that management had not taken action to rectify these issues.
“This unionization effort started basically from a lack of support from administration that has just gotten worse and worse over the years,” said Alex Wilken, a UnityPoint ICU nurse. “You know, it kicked off when they cut procedural pay, which affected procedural nurses quite a bit back in October. But really the heart of the issue goes back to patient safety, staffing ratios are incredibly important when it comes to taking care of patients in the hospital.”
1 killed when wrong-way car collides head-on with semi in Cass County
Over the past several months, nurses at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines have held demonstrations demanding management fix working conditions and stop their alleged efforts to deter the nurses from unionizing…