UAW Local 551 Chicago Nurses Unionize After Decades-Long Effort

The historic Local 551 of the United Auto Workers (UAW) traces its beginnings back to 1935. Over 5,000 of its members are employed at the Ford Chicago Assembly plant, known as the company's oldest active manufacturing site.

Surprisingly, until April this year, the plant's nursing personnel had not been part of any union. The six nurses at Chicago Assembly faced firm resistance from their employer but ultimately voted to join the UAW.

This successful unionization underscores the nurses' perseverance, who had previously attempted to unionize twice without success. The support from Local 551, the UAW Ford Department, and Region 4 played a crucial role in this achievement.

"Every worker deserves to have a union," stated UAW Vice President and Director of the Ford Department Laura Dickerson. "Every worker deserves to have the support they need to form their union if that's what they choose to do. Our decision to get behind these six workers really came down to that belief."

Mary Quasney, a nurse at the plant, expressed that more influence over workplace conditions was necessary, highlighting issues like persistent understaffing and a lack of training opportunities.

"We felt like management didn't want to make any type of financial investment in us that would allow us to increase our skills and our knowledge," Quasney shared. "We felt like we were understaffed, and that can have negative effects on the work we do. We truly care about the workers in this plant, and we want to provide the best care possible for them when they come to us."

Ford plant management strongly opposed the nurses' unionization efforts, employing various strategies to discourage them, including one-on-one meetings and distributing anti-union materials.

In response, UAW representatives conducted multiple meetings to address the company's misleading information and remained available around the clock to answer questions about the union.

Leaders and members of Local 551 consistently supported the nurses by visiting the medical department, recording a solidarity video, and providing cards with encouraging messages.

"The support from the workers was amazing," Quasney commented. "They truly had our backs the entire time. I think it made us want to be a part of the union even more."

The vote on April 9 resulted in a 5-1 decision in favor of joining the UAW.

"I've been a member of this local for over 30 years, and during that entire time, the nurses here have never been unionized," noted Local 551 President Chris Pena. "So, to see them finally win a seat at the table, everyone at the local is incredibly proud of them for demanding a voice."

"Some people might be asking, 'Why so much effort for only six workers?'" Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell remarked. "But for us, it didn't matter whether it was six workers or 600. Those nurses deserve the same support as anyone else. Our union was committed to making sure that was the case at Chicago Assembly."

With the nurses now part of the UAW, they are set to elect a bargaining chairperson and commence negotiations for their first contract. Quasney believes gaining a voice at work is just one of the many advantages of joining Local 551.

"We're all just very excited to be joining the UAW," Quasney stated. "Local 551 does so much great work in the community and holds a number of events for its members every year, and now we get to be part of that. We're very happy."