Some 2,000 nurses at Unity Point Health are on the verge of winning their union election to join Teamsters Local 90. Nurses voted 57% to 43% in favor of the union at Wednesday’s vote count. Some challenged ballots need to be resolved before the final results are official. But they will not be enough to reverse the outcome. Nurses are confident and ready to head to negotiate their first Teamster contract.
Out of the 1,788 ballots cast, there were 871 votes to certify, and 666 No votes. The union came up just short of an outright majority large enough to eliminate the need to review the contested ballots.
That means the eligibility of the 251 challenged ballots will be reviewed at an upcoming hearing of the National Labor Relations Board. Nurses need to win just 24 of those 251 votes to officially certify the Teamsters as their union.
“Now that we have all but won our union, the next step is to bring everyone together and form a contract action committee,” said Alex Wilken, an 11-year nurse at Unity Point. “To create real, positive change we will need to assemble a team of leaders from all three campuses and establish a communication network that ensures as much participation in the process as we can.”
The soon-to-be organizing victory was a true team effort. The International Union mobilized a team of organizers to make sure every nurse at the hospital was reached. Teamster nurses from Michigan Locals 2024 and 332 provided advice and even joined Unity Point nurses in Iowa, showing the power of Teamster solidarity.
“Throughout this process, our employer and their union-busting consultants worked to create division. They spread misinformation and tried to instill fear to sway the outcome,” said nurse and union leader Belinda Carpenter.
“We are excited to come together to create positive change for our patients, our community, and the future generations of nurses who will follow. What keeps us strong is the trust we’ve built together and the consistent support from Teamster Local 90 leaders. Because of that unity, we achieved something truly historic for nurses here.”
In 2022, members of Local 90 elected TDU members Alano De La Rosa and Tanner Fischer to lead their local union with a vision of rank and file empowerment and bold action. Since then, the union has won contract campaigns, revived dormant shops – and taken on new organizing drives.
“Working people want leaders who not only fight for them but give them the tools to fight for themselves,” said Alano De La Rosa. “We’re trying to bring as many people as possible into our local, because we know we’re stronger together.”