Many nurses at UW Health want to be part of a union and this week a mobile billboard in support will be at the hospital, as well as a picket on Feb. 24. | Luis Melendez on Unsplash
Many nurses at UW Health want to be part of a union and this week a mobile billboard in support will be at the hospital, as well as a picket on Feb. 24. | Luis Melendez on Unsplash
The sister of a longtime UW Health worker heard stories about her family members going through issues with staff shortages and now Madison resident Kim Herman has shown her support by buying a mobile billboard that will roam the hospital campus leading up to a picket expected to bring in a large amount of concerned nurses.
According to a WKOW report on Feb. 22, Herman bought the billboard for $4,000 that says “UW Health should put patients before profits," as well as “Our community supports a union voice for nurses so they can hold execs accountable.”
The goal is for UW Health to be unionized to alleviate the issues with short staffing and employees being overworked. The billboard will be driving around the UW Health facility for three days and there was a picket with nurses on Feb. 24 from 4 to 8 p.m. Herman also created a petition for the cause that has gained more than 1,000 signatures, and can be found at supportUWnurses.org.
“It was just too important to me," Herman said to WKOW.
The billboard shows three health care workers that include Herman’s sister Shari Signer and her brother-in-law. Signer has been working for UW Health for about two decades and said that staffing shortages have been a major issue especially recently. She said this has led to her and her co-workers crying because they know they can’t provide proper care.
“I am so excited and grateful to my sister for sponsoring this,” Signer said to WKOW.
UW Health issued a statement to WKOW saying they encourage the nurses to make their voices heard. However, it also included that the hospital cannot recognize a union.
“While the law is clear that we cannot recognize a union and collectively bargain a contract, we will continue working directly with our nurses through our nursing councils to address workforce challenges and continue improving the patient care we provide,” the UW Health statement said.
According to wearegreenbay.com, hundreds of nurses are expected at the picket that is intended for “safe staffing, quality care and a union.”
The union would be for around 2,600 people. The picket is being held on the same day that the UW Health Board assembles for a meeting. The UW Health nurses formerly had a union but the hospital chose not to create a new agreement when it expired in 2014, the wearegreenbay.com report stated.
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