How Our Union Improved Parkview Hospital

December 2012

“Joining UNAC/UHCP gave us strength we didn’t know we had to directly improve patient care. UNAC/UHCP has been a blessing to Parkview Community Hospital."
—Penny Brown, RN, Parkview

Joining together with UNAC/UHCP led to the following improvements for Parkview RNs in patient care and working conditions:

• UNAC/UHCP worked with Parkview to keep the hospital afloat by helping to secure HUD funding (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
• State staffing ratios now enforced
• A committee of nurses and management work together to improve patient care
• UNAC/UHCP brought the hospital a grant from the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service to allow management and the Union to jointly administer funds to better the hospital
• Fair and safe floating procedures
• Nurses are respected—no more fear and intimidation from Management
• Education reimbursement
• Guaranteed health benefits
• RNs beat back a management-imposed 5% wage cut
• Parkview nurses elect their own President and leadership team

"I hear it from all around, that people say this place is better than the hospital down the street. True, our hospital is still struggling financially, but having a union has helped us to have more stability. They used to give us health insurance and then take it away. They don't do that anymore. Having a union contract means they have to keep their promises."
—Debby Cruz, RN, Parkview

“In our Mother-Baby unit at Parkview the Charge Nurse was always assigned patients, and RNs had to take care of four couplets—mamas and babies—eight patients each. RN morale and patient care suffered. We voiced the problems, but nothing happened. When we got our union and won our contract we got more respect. We now have three dedicated Charge Nurses without patient assignments on each shift, and only 3 couplets. Morale is up and patient care has improved. If we didn’t have a union we wouldn’t get anything.”
–Ana Cooke, RN, Parkview Mother-Baby, 12 Years

Click here to download a leaflet with this information (and photos).