Nurses vote not to decertify their union at SLU Hospital

Members of the nurse’s union at Saint Louis University Hospital voted against de-authorizing their union June 15, a measure that would have effectively created a “right-to-work” policy within the hospital.

The National Nurses United affiliate has about 650 members at SLU Hospital; only 140 voted in favor of de-authorization during three scheduled voting periods throughout the day. The measure needed 326 votes to pass.

The group calling for the de-authorization vote was led by Brian Hendricks, a registered nurse who has been with SLUH since 1989.

The union, National Nurses Organizing Committee, entered its contract with the nurses in June 2013; the contract expires in June 2016.

SLUH is slated to become part of SSM Health later this year. None of SSM Health’s facilities have union nurses, but the organization has said it plans to meet with union officials.

SLUH currently is owned by Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare.