Registered nurses at Kent Hospital in Warwick are filing a petition with the National Labor Relations Board seeking union representation with District 1199 of the Service Employees International Union.
Kent is the only acute-care facility in Care New England’s three-hospital network where health care professionals are not part of a union. Nurses discussed the issues driving their decision, including improving the quality of care, increasing staffing levels, addressing training needs and other issues.
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The union also plans to release a proposed statement of principles and mutual code of conduct, which calls on Care New England and Kent nurses to commit to patient care during the union election. This includes promises by both sides not to delay the election and for hospital resources not to be diverted to fund “union avoidance” consultants.
Brian Wallin, spokesman at Kent Hospital, said this is not the first union drive at the hospital and that this particular initiative started in late 2002.
