St. Francis union vote for nurses gets start today

TWO-DAY VOTE

By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian

After two years of organizing that has strained professional relationships, the registered nurses at St. Francis Medical Center are set to vote on whether or not they want to join a union.

The two-day voting period begins today, and votes will be tallied and made public Friday at 9 p.m. A simple majority is needed in order for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union to represent the nearly 400 registered nurses at the Catholic hospital in Cape Girardeau.

Nurses on both sides said they are simply ready for the whole ordeal to be over.

"I think we're all ready to take a vote and see what the majority wants," said pro-union nurse Janet Casper. "The tension is really thick. A lot of nurses feel, whichever way it goes, that we're ready for the friendships and the scarring to be healed."

Anti-union nurse Rob Grayhek agreed it's time for the nurses to become unified again.

"Win or lose, it's time to put the pieces back together and work as a unit, because that's what hospitals are supposed to do," Grayhek said.

But first the nurses have to vote.

According to the National Labor Relations Board, which will administer the vote, the ballot language will read: "Do you wish to be represented for purposes of collective bargaining by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 655, AFL-CIO-CLC?"

Two labor board agents from St. Louis will be at the hospital, said Leo Dollard, the acting regional director of the board. The National Labor Relations Board was set up as an independent federal agency to govern relations between unions and employers in the private sector.

Dollard said the agents will set up voting booths in two conference rooms that include a canvas curtain to provide privacy. The paper ballots are secret, he said. Once a nurse votes, he or she gives the ballot to the board agent, who puts it in a sealed box that will not be opened until voting ends Friday.

Observing the vote

Both the employer and the union may designate an observer to oversee voting. The hospital cannot send a member of management into the rooms, Dollard said.

Electioneering is not allowed near the conference rooms, he said.

After the results are made public, the parties -- the union and the hospital administration -- have seven days to file objections on the conduct of the election, Dollard said. After that, if the board determines there were no unfair labor practices, the results are certified.

Dollard said it is not unusual that some objections are filed.

Then there is a 30-day grace period, Dollard said, and unions cannot require members to pay dues until after that time.

Nancy Parker, the union organizer for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655, said she had no comment.

St. Francis president and CEO Steve Bjelich said Wednesday that he's also glad it's almost over.

"We need to begin to pull our divided house back together," Bjelich said. "We are still St. Francis Medical Center and we are a family. No matter what happens, we need to put aside our differences and move forward."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611-extension 137