Get The Facts - FAQs

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions for Blessing Hospital Employees

March 31, 2025

General Questions about Union Organizing at Blessing Hospital

1.  “I hear that some Blessing Hospital employees are talking about bringing in a union. Is this true?”

Recently, some employees at Blessing Hospital have suggested that Blessing staff would be better off if they were represented by the Machinists Union. Union organizing is good for unions (i.e., more members means more money for the union), but it can be the wrong move for employees.

This is especially true in the case of the Machinists, an industrial union with very little practical healthcare experience. This is why we encourage you to have all the facts before you sign anything in support of unionization. In other words: protect your signature. 

2. “Which job classifications are union organizers and their supporters targeting?”

Based on what some employees have voluntarily told us, supporters working on behalf of the union are approaching Blessing employees in a variety of jobs (i.e., registered nurses, nursing assistants, housekeepers, dietary staff, etc.). This is why it’s important for everyone to be informed before they sign anything in support of a union. 

3. “Would the CNA’s be part of the nursing group or would they be in their own group?”

Under the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) acute care bargaining unit rule, acute care hospital employees are divided into eight appropriate units for purposes of collective bargaining. Any union attempting to organize Blessing Hospital employees would have to conform to this rule.

Appropriate bargaining units in an acute care hospital include all non-supervisory employees in the following groups:

• Registered nurses
• Employed physicians
• Professionals other than registered nurses and physicians
• Technical employees
• Skilled maintenance employees
• Business office clerical employees
• Guards
• Nonprofessional employees other than technical, skilled maintenance, business office clerical, and guards. 

CNAs would fall into the last category which the NBLRB names as “non-professional employees.” a “non-professional” bargaining unit would include all Blessing Hospital employees who occupy service and support job classifications (i.e., housekeepers, dietary workers, transporters, unit secretaries, certified nurse assistants, etc.).

4. “Why is the union topic such a big secret?”

We don’t think the topic should be a secret even though union organizers might say, “Don’t talk to your leader about this.” The union says this because they only want you to hear the union’s side of the story. In truth, you should feel free to discuss this important topic with your co-workers, Blessing leaders, and anyone else you feel can provide useful, unbiased, facts and information. 

Unionization could change our relationship and your work experience at Blessing Hospital in some very negative ways. This is why we have asked you not to sign anything in support of the Machinists Union until you understand how we could all be negatively impacted. 

5. “What could change if we are unionized?”

Every organization is different so, it’s impossible to predict what might happen if a union were elected at Blessing Hospital. But we want you to know that there are many potential downsides to unionization. For example:

• Less flexibility – Without a union you can work things out with your manager (i.e., changes to work schedules or scheduling time off). But with a union, everyone would have to follow whatever is written in any union contract that management and the union might reach. That means managers might not be able to make accommodations for individual employees.
• Potential impact on pay – During collective bargaining a union would be able to ask for anything, but our federal labor laws give management the legal right to say “no.” Unions typically promise employees “more” of everything; but federal law says there are no guaranteed outcomes in collective bargaining.[1]
• Less communication with management – If a union is voted in, your manager will no longer be your representative regarding your wages, hours or other terms and conditions of employment; paid union officials would become your exclusive representative for purposes of collective bargaining for all employees belonging to the bargaining unit.[2] Typically, union officials choose a few employees to be “union stewards” who speak for everyone else. In addition, you may have to take your grievances (personal matters about your terms and conditions of employment) to your steward.
• Having to pay union dues or other fees – Illinois is NOT a right-to-work state, which means employees can (and often are) forced to pay dues as a condition of continued employment.[3] If a union is elected at Blessing Hospital, you would likely have to pay union dues in order to continue working at Blessing.
• Possible Strikes – We would never want a strike at Blessing Hospital. However, where unions are present, strikes are always a possibility. During a strike to enforce a union’s economic demands, strikers do not receive a company paycheck and could lose their benefits depending on the length of the strike. Strikers can also be replaced by the hospital (on either a temporary or permanent basis). 

6. “How do I get my card back?”

If you signed a union authorization card in-person and you have now changed your mind and would like to get it back, you could tell the person you gave your signed card to that you changed your mind and want them to return your card. If you signed a card electronically (online), you may consider calling the union or sending a certified letter to the union’s office asking them to return your signed card and not use your name or your signature in any petition the union may file with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).  

Unfortunately, if the union files a petition for an election, your card will be submitted to the NLRB as part of the petition filing. If this happens, it would be very difficult to get your signed card back. However, if the NLRB does schedule an election, employees can, and should, vote “no.”

Questions about Union Elections

1. “How many employee signatures does the union need before they can file for an election?”

The NLRB requires a union to submit signed authorization cards from at least 30% of the employees they’re targeting. If the union can secure 30% support, they can file a petition the NLRB for an election. 

2. “What determines the outcome of a union election?”

NLRB elections are determined by a simple majority of those who participate in the vote. For example, if there are 500 eligible voters but only 100 employees actually vote, and 51 vote in favor of the union, then the union would win the right to represent all 500 employees who were eligible to vote, including those who didn’t want the union and those who didn’t vote at all. This is why participation in union elections is so important. 

3. “If a union files a petition for election, how would everyone know when to vote?”

If a union filed a petition for election at Blessing Hospital, the election would likely be held within four-to-five weeks from the date of the petition filing. The election date would be widely publicized, and we would encourage all eligible voters to participate. 

4. “If there was an election at Blessing Hospital, how would the election be conducted?”

NLRB elections are conducted by NLRB representatives (not the employer and not the union). If an election is ever scheduled, it would be held on site at Blessing Hospital. 

NLRB elections are conducted by secret ballot, which means no one would ever know how you voted unless you tell them. Even employees who previously signed a union authorization card or petition would have the right to vote “no” (against unionization) and no one would ever know.

Questions about Collective Bargaining

1. “Wouldn’t a union give employees a voice, and improve pay, staffing, and other aspects of our jobs?”

Union organizers often promise employees that, with the union representing them, employees will get more of everything. But these statements are just promises, not guarantees; union organizers have no legal way of guaranteeing you anything. 

Under federal labor law, through the process of good-faith bargaining, it is possible for employees to end up with more, keep the same things they have now, or even to lose things they have now that employees might not want to see changed or lost. 

2. “If nurses at Blessing Hospital were unionized who would represent us? Would the union representative be a nurse?”

If the union currently targeting Blessing registered nurses was ever elected, nurses would be represented by the Machinists, an industrial union that normally represents factory workers. As professional clinicians, we encourage our nurses to consider the fact that the Machinists would likely not have even a basic understanding of the highly specialized work we do each day to care for patients.

3. “During bargaining, would hospital leaders have to agree to union demands?”

No. The law clearly states that management is not required to agree to a proposal or make a concession.[4] During bargaining union representatives would be able to ask for anything, but management would have the legal right to say “no” to any demand not aligned with our goals and objectives.

If a union was ever elected at Blessing Hospital, management would always bargain in good faith, but that doesn’t mean you would automatically get more of anything. 

4. “Would this impact Blessing’s Magnet status? Would we be able to have shared governance?”

If a union is elected at Blessing Hospital, we don’t know what might happen; but you should know that union’s typically do not support shared governance. 

Under shared governance, nurses get to speak for themselves and participate in shared decision-making that impacts their clinical practice. Unions typically oppose shared governance because it is a process the union can’t participate in or control.

5. “If there was a union at Blessing Hospital would managers be able to help on the floor?”

Union’s normally object to leaders doing bargaining unit work. In fact, under union work rules employees might be prevented from helping and supporting each other in the manner we do today. These are exactly the kind of union demands that can divide a workforce, create inefficiencies, undermine teamwork, and impact patient care. 

6. “How long does it normally take for management and a union to reach a contract?”

If a union is ever elected to represent any Blessing employees, it is impossible to predict how long bargaining might take to produce a contract. However, a recent study by Bloomberg Law found that the average time it takes to negotiate a first contract is 465 days (or about 15 months).[5]  

7. “Does any change in the work or practice environment have to be approved by the union?”

If management wants to implement a change that impacts employees’ terms and conditions of employment, management could be required to discuss the change with the union. However, the union would not be in the position to “approve” or “prevent” management from making changes, so long as leaders follow the law by first discussing changes with the union. 

Questions about Union Dues 

1. “Do unionized employees have to pay union dues or representation fees in Illinois?”

For Illinois private-sector employees the answer is “yes” because Illinois is not a right-to-work state. This means employees in Illinois can, and often are, forced to pay the union as a condition of the employee’s continued employment. 

2. “How much are union dues?”

In financial documents the Machinists Union files with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards, the union states that they charge a minimum dues rate of $85.00 per month or $1,020 per year.[6]  

3. “How does the union spend our union dues?”

Union members’ dues payments support the union’s bureaucracy. For example, unions can spend members’ dues to pay the salaries, benefits, and other perks (i.e., automobiles, etc.) of local union officers and employees who work for the union. A portion of dues paid to the local union are also paid to the union’s International governing body to operate the union’s national business, including political lobbying or any other initiative the International decides is necessary for business operations.

Some union members have been surprised to learn that their dues payments are often spent on lavish business travel, expensive meals and other perks for union officials (local and international) – instead of being spent to support individual union members. 

Questions about Demonstrations and Strikes

1. “If there was a strike at Blessing Hospital, would all unionized employees have to strike?”

We would never want a strike at Blessing Hospital; however, if a union is ever elected to represent nurses (or other employees) at Blessing Hospital, a strike would always be a possibility. For example, if collective bargaining were to break down, the union might call a strike in an effort to try to force management to agree to the union’s economic demands. 

Under these circumstances, nurses (or others) would likely have the right to cross the picket line and come to work. However, crossing a picket line manned by your co-workers could be very difficult and distressing. This is just one reason why strikes can be so destructive; strikes can divide the workforce, pitting strikers against those who cross the picket line and come to work. 

2. “If there was ever a nursing strike at Blessing Hospital, would it affect everyone or just the nurses?”

A strike at Blessing Hospital would be devastating for everyone – our hospital, our staff, and the community we serve. And, while nurses could be the only employees involved in the strike and walking the picket line, all Blessing Hospital employees would be negatively affected. 

During a strike we would continue our operations and provide healing care to patients. However, with nurses on strike, replacement nurses (supplied by a staffing agency) and other Blessing Hospital staff would likely fill the void left by strikers. A strike at Blessing Hospital could be very destructive and create divisiveness among employees that could take years to heal. 

3. “If employees went on strike, wouldn’t they get more money and better benefits?”

It is impossible to predict. In many cases, employees who went on strike were not able to get any more than what was offered before they went on strike. In these cases, strikers not only lose pay for the time they are on strike, but they are also left with nothing to show for their time on the picket line. It is worth noting that most unions require their members to continue to pay union dues – even during a strike when strikers are not receiving an employer-provided paycheck. 

Other Important Questions

1. “How are leaders trying to learn what staff are dissatisfied about?”

Blessing Hospital leaders and administrators have many tools they regularly use to gather feedback from our employees. For example, we continue to use Peakon employee surveys, listening sessions, Town Halls, and leader rounding to directly engage our employees in discussions about their work experience. Based on the feedback we receive we develop action plans designed to respond to the issues raised and improve the work experience for employees. 

2. “What happens if the union organizing attempt fails?” 

We get to continue collaborating. This is why we encourage you to say “no” to the Machinists or any other union. We want the opportunity to continue collaborating with you to make our work experience the best it can be for all our employees. 

3. “Where can I find more information about unions?”

We are providing information for employees to help you make an informed personal decision about unionization. If you have questions or need more information we hope you will feel comfortable talking to your leader. You can also visit the following websites:

• National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) website: https://www.nlrb.gov
• National Right to Work website: https://www.nrtw.org/
• Union Facts website: https://unionfacts.com/