NLRB acts on charges of anti-union activities against Royal Oak campus RNs

ROYAL OAK – An unfair labor practice complaint has been issued by the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Beaumont Hospital discriminated against nurses because of their union activities and interfered, coerced and restrained them in those efforts.

Nurses filed unfair labor practice charges with support from the Michigan Nurses Association last year after Beaumont administrators consistently engaged in anti-union activity against nurses who are trying to form their union at the Royal Oak campus.

The nurses asserted that Beaumont executives violated federal law through more than 30 instances of conduct attempting to interfere with, restrain and coerce nurses from exercising their rights to organize their union. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) investigated the allegations and issued a complaint against the hospital on Friday, Jan. 31. The next step is a hearing, currently set for April 13.

“This ruling comes as no surprise – we’ve been saying all along that Beaumont violated our legal rights to talk about patient care and other issues in our workplace,” said Philomena Kerobo, a Beaumont RN. “We are proud Beaumont nurses advocating for our patients, and it’s very disappointing that our employer has treated us this way. I’m glad to see steps toward holding Beaumont administrators accountable for their illegal behavior.”

After investigating the charges filed on July 9, the National Labor Relations Board cited more than 30 instances in its complaint, including but not limited to:

• Interrogating employees about their postings on a private Facebook page;
• Threatening the loss of favorable working conditions or outsourcing for employees if they choose to form a union;
• Discriminatorily enforcing policies to prohibit distribution of pro-union materials; and
• Announcing a rule to prohibit employees from talking about unions.

“Nurses won’t stay silent when it comes to advocating for the best patient care possible,” said Lindsay Kosnak, a Beaumont RN. “No matter what Beaumont does, we are committed to forming our union so we have a real voice in the workplace.”

The Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) is the largest, most effective union for RNs across the state. As the voice for all registered nurses in Michigan, MNA advocates for nurses and their patients at the Capitol, in the community, and at the bargaining table.

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Contact: Dawn Kettinger; 517-721-9688