Local – The Times Weekly, staff
Our Lady of Angels Nursing Home workers in Joliet have voted to form a union with the Illinois Nurses Association. The announcement Wednesday gives the INA their first wall-to-wall unit, and the largest unit organized by INA in a decade. Our Lady of Angels is an 80-bed nursing home that employs over 70 staff in the positions covered by the new bargaining unit.
On May 27th, after meeting and discussing forming a union for weeks, Our Lady of Angels workers filed a petition for election, with over two-thirds of their coworkers showing support for unionization.
“We decided to form our union because we have no voice. Every time we say something it’s rejected, we’re afraid of being fired; especially with management changing so often. We have seen friends and coworkers being fired for no reason, and finally we decided that we need to stand up and do something about it,” said Jean De Lay, an RN who has worked at OLA for over 20 years.
Despite OLA management’s aggressive union-busting tactics, a majority of workers successfully voted to form a union with Illinois Nurses Association, going from their first union meeting to winning their election in a matter of months.
“Now that we’ve won our election, I feel more confident. I feel there’s something behind us now and we can negotiate rules that they can’t break anymore,” said De Lay. “In other words, we have more freedom without the constant threat and fear of unfair retaliation.”
On Thursday, August 4th, the National Labor Relations Board certified their union after workers at OLA won their election.
The workers organized wall-to-wall, from frontline RNs and CNAs to support staff, including housekeeping, dietary and maintenance staff, working together to exert more power in their workplace. The workers will now be seeking to negotiate a fair contract that recognizes the value of their contributions to the health and well-being of their residents and the Joliet community.
According to Julia Bartmes, executive director of INA, the win is a major step forward for OLA workers who have endured years of poor working conditions, including chronic understaffing and turnover, unlivable wages, and uncertain and unclear policies due to frequent changes in management. The workers in Joliet, who fought hard against the company’s aggressive misinformation campaign, will add to union density for healthcare workers in Joliet where AMITA St. Joseph’s Medical Center RNs are already organized with INA.
Originally established as a home for aging Joliet Franciscan Sisters transitioning out of active service, Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home is now organized under INA representation.
