In a resounding display of unity, healthcare professionals at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital (commonly known as Good Sam Professionals) have voted overwhelmingly by a margin of more than 80% to unionize, aligning themselves under the banner of IAM Healthcare in partnership with IAM District 751. The new bargaining unit consists of more than 200 highly educated skilled professionals, including Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Pharmacists, Case Managers, Social Workers, Medical Technologists, Exercise Physiologists, and Dietitians.

Last week, IAM Healthcare, along with the AFL-CIO and a coalition of labor and community allies, hosted a virtual rally for safe staffing standards to encourage the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish strong staffing standards for nursing homes in the United States.

Missy Zirups, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and member of IAM Local W33 (District 5) in International Falls, MN, spoke out about her first-hand experience in nursing homes. Zirups, who also serves as an IAM Union Steward, highlighted the necessity of establishing staffing levels for safe resident care.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) successfully filed a representation petition at the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) in Columbus, Ohio, for 980 Patient Care Associates (PCAs) and Psychiatric Care Technicians (PCTs) at the Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.

We stand at a critical moment in the history of the Pharmacy profession. Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians at corporate chain retail giants have recently staged unprecedented walkouts to protest unsafe staffing levels and dangerously high workloads. These are not new problems, but they have intensified exponentially due to rampant corporate greed and consolidation, as well as increased workload and job responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.