IOWA CITY, IOWA (February 10, 2023) — 3,800 nurses and other healthcare professionals at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics who are members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa expressed frustration and anger as representatives of the Iowa Board of Regents refused to bargain Monday morning. The Union has filed a Prohibited Practice Complaint (PPC) alleging the Board of Regents are failing to fulfill their duty to bargain in good faith.
Alex Kestrel, is a RN who has worked at UIHC for four years, shared why it is so important for health-care workers to get the pay and benefits they deserve so they can provide quality care to Iowa families:
"SEIU employees at UIHC want to take excellent care of our patients. But when people have to work overtime to make ends meet and work short-staffed on a regular basis, we aren’t able to take good care of ourselves. We need to be able to take care of ourselves to take good care of our patients and our community. We want a good contract for SEIU employees at UIHC so that we can make UIHC an attractive place to work. We have asked for reasonable things such as measures to protect staff from workplace violence and paid-parental leave. The board or regents has refused to bargain with us in good faith. They haven’t been willing to negotiate at any point in the process and now they’re refusing to come to the table at all. It’s disgraceful.”
The contract fight comes on the heels of frontline healthcare workers stepping up during COVID and keeping Iowa families safe. The SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa members plan to hold an info picket on Tuesday, February 14, 6:30AM-12:30PM, to continue the push to make sure essential workers at UIHC who care for Iowa families are respected, protected, and paid. More details will be shared closer to the date.
