Longmont United Hospital unionized nurses participated in a rally in Loomiller Park on Tuesday in protest of what they’re calling the hospital’s ongoing attempts at “union busting.”
The gathering comes after the hospital, which is part of Centura Health, illegally withheld pay increases and benefits from unionized nurses, according to a labor relations judge’s ruling issued in late March.
The benefits and wage increases were denied after the nurses voted to join the National Nurses United union in 2021. Longmont United Hospital challenged the results of the election and told the nurses they would be excluded from several rounds of pay and benefit increases until the appeals process was resolved, according to the ruling.
“For the last two years, Centura and Longmont United have appealed or denied or delayed every decision that has gone in our favor — that’s just how they’ve operated,” said Kris Kloster, who’s worked as a registered nurse at the hospital for 22 years. “In one of their biggest union-busting tactics, Centura made sure we — their only union hospital — were specifically excluded from all of (the benefits and raises).”
The exclusion led to dozens of nurses leaving their jobs at the hospital, Kloster said.
“Centura knew this would happen, but did it anyway in an attempt to end union activity,” she said.
In the March 28 hearing, the labor relations judge ruled the hospital violated federal labor law, and ordered the hospital to compensate more than 200 nurses with back pay and benefits, including interest, according to the ruling.
“Since the recent judge’s orders, we collected hundreds of signatures from current and former Longmont Hospital United nurses as well as members of the community to demand that Centura complies with these orders,” said Tricia Hartley, who has spent nearly two decades working as a registered nurse in the hospital.
The unionized nurses are calling for Longmont United Hospital and Centura to acknowledge the union and negotiate a fair contract.
“We are aware an Administrative Law Judge of the National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) issued a decision on maintaining the status quo for Longmont United Hospital nurse wages and benefits,” Centura Health said in a statement issued to the Leader. “We are reviewing this decision to determine Longmont United Hospital’s response and options.”
