Licensed practical nurses at St.

Thursday, September 07, 2000

Licensed practical nurses at St. Mark’s Lutheran Home in Austin have voted overwhelmingly for union representation.

In a 20-2 vote Wednesday, nurses voted to have United Food and Commercial Workers Local 789 of South St. Paul represent them. A total of 23 nurses were eligible to vote, however, one was on vacation.

The nurses now must wait seven days for the election to be certified. The seven-day period also allows either the union or the nursing home’s management to contest the election’s results. Jennifer Swanson, a union representative assisting the nurses in their organizing effort, said this morning that she did not think the results would be contested.

"After the results are certified, the company (nursing home) is obligated to bargain in good faith," Swanson said.

The workers were pleased with the results.

"The nurses are pretty excited to sit down and hammer out a new contract," Swanson said.

The nurses sought union representation, saying they felt their job security was threatened. Other issues included seniority, wages and scheduling.

James Ingersoll, the nursing home’s administrator, was in a meeting this morning and unavailable for comment.

The nursing home is located on 15th Avenue SW in Austin.