BALTIMORE — A group of nurses at St. Agnes Hospital in Southwest Baltimore wants its union out of the building.
"What I've seen in the last year is, they've done nothing for us, and it has just caused such a huge divide in the nurses," said Jennifer Delaney, a registered nurse of 25 years.
Delaney and Kathy Guaniel have a petition to bring up a vote to decide if the union stays or goes.
They say they have the 30% of signatures needed to bring up the vote.
As of now, the collective bargaining unit doesn't have a vote to decide on keeping or removing the union on the books.
"I think that everybody should have a choice, I don't have anything against the unions, if you want to be a union member, you should be a union member but if you don't you
shouldn't be forced to," said Kathy Guaniel, a registered nurse of 25 years.
Maryland isn't a 'right to work' state.
That means all the employees have to join the union.
Nicki Horvat is a registered nurse and pro-union.
She's a part of the bargaining team negotiating the contract with the hospital.
"There is a small group of nurses who have been very against the union but for the most part, it has been really cool to see how nurses have been realizing how much power we actually do have and how much of a voice we have now that we have a union," said Horvat.
Both sides, for and against the union mentioned patient care in their argument.
"All I want to do is go in, put my head down, go back to work, and absolutely take care of people like I would want my mother, father, or child to be taken care of," said Delaney.
"Every patient deserves the most high-quality care that they can get, they deserve individualized time with their nurses so that the little signs aren't missed so that they're taken care of like anyone would take care of a family member," said Horvat.
The union and the nurses union have not reached a contract agreement.
Delaney is trying to vote to remove the union before that happens.
As of now, the National Labor Relations Board has not allowed the vote to happen at the hospital.
Ascension sent over a statement saying, "Saint Agnes is aware a group of registered nurses has filed a petition to decertify National Nurses United as their union representative. This is a staff-led initiative. We respect our associates’ right to determine the path that best supports their professional and workplace needs, including decisions about union representation.
We are grateful for the confidence the petitioners have in Saint Agnes, and are disappointed in the union's attempts to keep their voices from being heard. We continue to bargain in good faith and meet our legal obligation to negotiate an initial contract for our represented nurses."
