Union Representation – Know the Facts

• DATE: Wednesday, July 22, 2026
• HOURS: 6:00 - 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. 
• PLACE: The Lecture Hall at the Employer's facility located at 169 Riverside Drive, Binghamton, N.Y.

A union can negotiate on behalf of its members, but outcomes depend on the collective bargaining process and agreements reached with the employer.

As a result, a union cannot guarantee:

• Higher wages 
• Additional staffing or specific ratios
• More or better benefits 
• Guaranteed continued improvement 
• Job standards or expectations

Even without any guarantees, a union can:

• Charge you dues and fees
• Collect up to 2% of your wages in dues 
• Require you to pay a fair share, even if you do not want to pay dues
• Call for a strike 
• Issue fines or assessments
• Serve as the bargaining representative for employees

We want to continue direct engagement and problem-solving. We also want to continue using joint committees and maintaining flexibility across departments. For those reasons, we do not believe unionization is the best path forward for nurses at Lourdes.

At Lourdes, you already have a strong voice.

• Engagement survey results show strong relationships between leaders and their teams at Lourdes.
• Lourdes has a very robust Shared Governance structure. 
• Bedside RNs are already represented on our Staffing Committee, which reviews staffing plans and ensures we are in compliance with New York State regulations.   
• A union would change that -- moving communication through a representative instead of direct conversation with your leaders. 
• We believe you shouldn’t have to pay to be heard – that you should be able to speak directly with your leaders.

We Are Invested in You 

• Between 2024 and today, we invested nearly $1 million in nursing compensation at Lourdes.
• We are invested in your future, through growth opportunities such as career pathways, opportunities to take on expanded roles and leadership positions, and support to work at the top of your license
• We are invested in your education and development, through ongoing training and skill development and tuition reimbursement toward your continued education.

Your Feedback Has Already Driven Change 

• In engagement surveys, conversations and input through shared governance, you told us compensation, career growth and support matter. We listened, and we acted.
• We have recruited and hired additional nurses, including newly licensed RNs, reducing reliance on agency staff. The result is more consistency, stronger teamwork and better support on your unit.
• Team-based nursing allows RNs to focus on clinical judgment and complex care. Coaching, flexibility and collaboration are built into the model.

Electing union representation is a major commitment. It is not simply about joining together with coworkers or agreeing to pay dues. It also means designating SEIU as your exclusive representative and committing to collective bargaining.  Here is what that means in practice:  

Today, many topics can be discussed directly with your supervisor, manager or department leader. If SEIU were elected, specific departments, supervisors and managers would no longer be able to work with you directly or individually on important matters such as:

• Scheduling, schedule changes and shift assignments 
• PTO, holidays and overtime 
• Promotion and advancement processes 
• Compensation and benefits 
• Departmental transfers

Instead, these subjects -- and potentially others -- would be addressed through bargaining with SEIU. Issues that are currently handled case by case, or department by department, would instead need to be negotiated as part of a single, hospital-wide contract.

Decision Making 

• It is our experience that seniority typically becomes the deciding factor in decisions about shift assignments, work schedule development, granting holidays and other time off, overtime and promotions.
• If you’re a newer caregiver, performance may matter less, because decisions on shifts, schedules, time off and promotions are largely decided by seniority.

A majority of actual votes cast on July 22 will determine whether Lourdes’ RNs are represented by SEIU. No earlier expression of interest or other ballot you may have signed will count. The only votes that count are the ones cast on July 22.  

Yes. The election will be conducted by secret ballot. No one can make you tell them how you intend to vote, or how you voted. You are free to decide, and the choice is yours alone, regardless of others’ opinions or any commitment cards you may have signed. The only vote that counts is the secret ballot you cast on July 22. 

Yes. If you and your coworkers elect representation through 1199SEIU, nurses will be required to pay dues and fees. SEIU collects up to 2% of its members’ gross wages in dues, up to $1,500 per year. Even those who opt out of union membership are still required to pay fees. And there are no guaranteed outcomes in bargaining. 

Union dues pay for the union to act as your exclusive representative in many important work matters, and may also pay for other union operations. Paying dues does not guarantee specific outcomes or benefits.  

As you weigh your decision, it's important to consider the cost of dues and whether you prefer to be represented by a third party or to communicate directly with management and hospital leadership.

At Lourdes, we have multiple established channels for nurses to share ideas, raise concerns and help shape decisions. We are committed to listening to employees, and your feedback has already driven change without requiring dues payments.
 

Staffing ratios at Guthrie Lourdes are developed in compliance with New York State regulatory requirements. The same requirements are applicable across union and non-union hospitals. 

Just as importantly, our staffing plan is shaped through collaboration between hospital leaders and the frontline caregivers who provide patient care every day. By working together, we create staffing plans that support safe, high-quality care for our patients while meeting all applicable regulatory standards.

Lourdes uses a shared governance model that brings leaders and caregivers together on a regular basis to review staffing, discuss concerns and address any staffing variances.

We continuously monitor compliance with New York State staffing requirements. When challenges arise, they are reviewed through established processes to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care.

If you have a concern about staffing, we encourage you to speak up through our established escalation process. This may include:

• Discussing the concern with your charge nurse or unit leader
• Submitting a formal staffing concern or grievance, as outlined in the Guthrie Lourdes staffing plan

Every concern is taken seriously. Submitted concerns are reviewed, investigated as appropriate, and discussed through our Staffing Ratio shared governance structure to promote transparency, consistency and continuous improvement.
 

The union has identified only some RNs at Lourdes which it wishes to represent.  These RNs are outlined in a Stipulation Election Agreement as:  “All full-time, regular part-time, and per diem [working an average of 4 hours per week for 13 weeks] employed by the Employer at its acute care hospital located at 169 Riverside Drive, Binghamton, New York, including RNs in the following departments: Inpatient/Acute Care, Woundcare, Cardiac Catheterization, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Diagnostic Radiology, Radiology Administration, Medical Oncology, Hemo/Oncology Services, and Radiation Oncology.” Caregivers and others who are not eligible to vote are also identified in the Stipulated Election Agreement as: “All Administrative RNs, Home Care RNs, Hospice RNs, Breast Care Clinic RNs, Guthrie Lourdes Medical Group RNs, confidential employees, managers, guards, supervisors as defined in the Act, RNs at other facilities, and all other employees.” Management agreed to those RNs identified by the union in its petition for election.

Thank you for this thoughtful question.  If employees vote a union in as their representative and later decide the union is not beneficial for them, there are some options available to represented employees. However, these options are limited to certain times and are subject to National Labor Relations Board regulations.  As such, it can be complicated for employees to navigate. Employers cannot be involved in any activity where employees wish to sever their relationship with the union. Information related to this topic can be found at  https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/the-law/employees/decertification-election.

In many unionized workplaces, seniority plays a significant role in decisions about schedules, shift assignments, overtime, holidays, paid time off and promotions. As a result, newer nurses may have less influence over these decisions than nurses with longer tenure. While every contract is negotiated separately, it is important to understand that seniority-based systems can place greater emphasis on length of service than on individual preferences or performance when certain decisions are made. It is important to remember that whatever is agreed to in a union contract applies to all nurses represented by the union.