Flagstaff Medical Center Nurses Say "NO" to Union

Arizona Nurse, Jul 2006

"NO"

The following is the official press release from Flagstaff Medical Center.

FLAGSTAFF - Nurses at Flagstaff Medical Center voted against representation by the California Nurses Association during an election held June 21 and 22. Nurses voted 242 to 211 for no union representation at FMC. These results are pending certification by the National Labor Relations Board.

"We are pleased the majority of our nurses chose to work directly with the management team and not through a union," said Bill Bradel, FMC president. "We would like to thank all the nurses who expressed their opinion at the ballot box, and all of our employees for their support and professionalism during a very trying time.

"A union drive can cause divisions among staff and is a stressful experience. Regardless of whether our colleagues supported the union or not, we are asking them all to join in beginning the healing process. As the management team at FMC, we reaffirm our commitment to work with our employees to understand and address the issues that led to this election. During the last week, I personally met with more than 350 nurses. I have heard firsthand their concerns and I am confident that we can address them together as a team.

"In union elections, the losing party has seven days to question the validity of the election. We hope that in this case the union respects the decision made by the majority."