2,000+ North Shore Endeavor Nurses Seek Unionization

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — More than 2,400 nurses at Endeavor Health's north suburban hospitals could soon get union representation after they filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board on Thursday.

The nurses said they are seeking to unionize over staffing, workload and pay concerns.

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If their petition to hold a union election succeeds, nurses at hospitals in Evanston, Highland Park, Skokie and Glenview would be represented by Teamsters Local 743.

In a statement, Endeavor said it respects the right of the nurses to make an informed choice about union representation.

"We also recognize the challenges in providing safe, seamless patient care when a union acts as the intermediary between our nurses and the hospital leadership," Endeavor Health officials said. "… The exceptional care that we deliver to our communities has been the result of our ability to work together to navigate the complex challenges of our industry, and we continue to believe that direct conversations between our nurses and leadership are the best way to do so."

The filing follows earlier labor activity involving the hospital system. Earlier this year, Teamsters Local 743 filed charges against Endeavor with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming two nurses were fired from Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital due to participation in union activities.

The petition at the North Shore hospitals is also the second recent union election filing involving Endeavor nurses this month. Nurses at Endeavor Health Edward Hospital in Naperville filed a petition to hold a union election to be represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United.

The latest filing does not decide representation on its own. It starts the federal labor board process for an election covering nurses at the four north suburban hospitals named in the petition. If the election is successful, Teamsters Local 743 would represent those workers.