LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) - Nurses at a hospital in north-central Idaho are trying to unionize.
The Lewiston Tribune reports that registered nurses with St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston announced over the weekend that they are petitioning to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
In a statement, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center officials said the Teamsters chapter in Spokane, Washington filed a petition last week for an election to represent its registered nurses, and said the hospital will schedule a vote as soon as possible. Employers typically require an election for prospective members if they want to unionize.
Val Holstrom with Teamsters Local 690 in Spokane says the nurses’ top priority is to provide the community with the high quality care, and they want to have a strong voice to address concerns such as nurse-to-patient ratios.
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center was a nonprofit hospital until two years ago, when the Catholic medical care organization Ascension Health sold the medical center to RCCH Healthcare Partners, a for-profit company.
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Information from: Lewiston Tribune, http://www.lmtribune.com
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