511 St. Mary’s Hospital nurses voted to unionize against 63 opposed, giving the SEIU-backed effort 89% support in Thursday’s National Labor Relations Board election.
Federal labor law now requires SSM Health to bargain with the newly organized nurses, whose next steps are drafting contract priorities through surveys and forming a negotiating committee.
Emily Berceau, a labor and delivery nurse, said the union push was tied to patient advocacy beyond bedside care, linking the vote to working conditions and care standards.
SSM Health said it had preferred to keep direct engagement with nurses without a union but pledged to continue collaborating with staff to maintain patient care.