SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah Health employees announced they have unionized following concerns they had with staffing, wages and benefits.
Utah Health Workers United has been formed as an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America. The union says its members are frontline healthcare workers who want "an independent voice to advocate for ourselves and our patients."
The workers in the union include nurses, medical residents, EMTs, medical assistants, pharmacists, physician assistants and others in the University of Utah Health System.
According to a statement put out by the union, workers want fair and transparent wages that reflect the cost of living along the Wasatch Front, along with improved staffing.
The union claims the high cost of living has "diminished employee recruitment efforts," and the high turnover rate is a "direct cause of a negative feedback loop spearheaded by inappropriate base compensation and staffing." One member said when someone resigns, they are expected to perform the jobs of two people without compensation.
To decrease labor costs, the union accuses the university of keeping as few workers as possible per shift. They also say this impacts things on the patients' side.
"It affects patient care and patient outcomes, and so really advocating for our workers is advocating for our patients — which is always our main priority," registered nurse Lena Lander said.
Overall, the union believes the university is not making proper efforts to address employee concerns, which is why the members say a union is necessary.
Late Tuesday, university officials said they are happy to talk with employees about their work environment, but they had not yet received notification that they had unionized.
"U of U Health works hard to be a preferred employer and to take care of one another just as we take care of our patients," officials said in a statement. "This year every employee received an annual pay increase and we regularly review local and national compensation data to ensure we’re competitive with our peers. We focus on the retention of our talented care teams and routinely meet with them to better understand their needs.
"U of U Health is prohibited from recognizing organizations for purposes of collective bargaining. That said, we are committed to transparency, to listening, and to collaboration. We welcome the opportunity to work together with our teams to continually improve working environments and to discuss any concerns."
