Hundreds of nurses at Dane County SSM clinics vote to unionize

Hundreds of nurses at 10 SSM Dean Medical Group outpatient clinics in Dane County voted by 71% to form a union last week. 

The union drive of the 340 nurses at the SSM Health clinics comes just months after nurses at SSM St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison voted by 89% to start a union in June. The St. Louis-based Catholic health system has vehemently opposed the union effort from the St. Mary’s nurses, including by trying to get the National Labor Relations Board to invalidate the union election results. 

The St. Mary’s nurses have filed official charges with the NLRB over SSM administration’s refusal to begin negotiating a contract and undertaking anti-union efforts. 

Nurses at both St. Mary’s and the clinics have said they’re working to unionize to better advocate for their patients as the administration makes cuts that force the nurses to do more. The clinic nurses have also tied their effort directly to the system’s treatment of the St. Mary’s nurses.

“For too long, policies have been handed down from SSM executives in St. Louis that force nurses to do more and more with fewer and fewer resources,” said Kat Doebler, a 30-year nurse who works at the SSM Health Outpatient Surgery Center. “This intense focus of extracting corporate profits out of us has led to burnout and the loss of some of our very best nurses. It’s time for the nurses who actually take care of patients to have a seat at the table in the decisions that affect our jobs and how we provide that care. We are very disappointed that instead of respecting our freedom to form a union, SSM has been waging a campaign to violate our rights. Together with our coworkers at St. Mary’s, we’re calling on SSM to stop breaking federal law and start working with us to make sure our clinics and the hospital are the best places to work and receive care.”   

After the SSM administration fought the recognition of the union at St. Mary’s, the system said in a statement that it “respects” the decision of its clinic nurses. 

“We thank every nurse who participated in the recent National Labor Relations Board election at ten of our SSM Health Dean Medical Group outpatient centers in the Madison area,” SSM spokesperson Lisa Adams said. “While we would have preferred an outcome that allowed us to continue working directly with our nurses, we respect their decision and are committed to working constructively through the process ahead. We are grateful for the dedication of our nurses and the care they provide each day. Together, we will continue supporting our patients, serving our communities, and advancing our Mission of providing exceptional health care services to all.”