Brattleboro Memorial Hospital support, tech, office and maintenance workers have voted to form a union.
The election took place on Friday, with 123 ballots cast in favor of unionizing and 57 against.
The vote still needs to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board. After that, the union can collectively bargain on behalf of more than 200 employees.
Deanne Thomas is among those employees. The 56-year-old environmental services aide has been cleaning the hospital for more than eight years.
She told 开云体育 that she helped organize the union election because she hasn鈥檛 always felt her role was respected by upper management.
鈥淲e want to feel like we're just as important as everybody else with what we do,鈥� Thomas said.
Whether it鈥檚 the kitchen staff paying attention to patient food allergies, the people at the registration checking in patients for doctors and nurses, or the techs in the lab and the operating room, Thomas said these employees are essential for the hospital to function.
鈥淲e work hard to make sure that we're doing our part to help the patients recover,鈥� she said.
Thomas said she and her colleagues want livable wages, safe staffing ratios and better communication with management on things like benefits.
Christopher Dougherty, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital's president and CEO, said in a written statement that this was a moment to reaffirm "our shared commitment to provide the community with exceptional patient care.鈥�
鈥淭he current times are probably the most challenging and difficult for small, rural community hospitals like Brattleboro Memorial Hospital," Dougherty wrote. "While a third-party adds a layer of complexity to administrative operations, we respect the outcome and will continue to act in good faith."
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is among numerous hospitals in Vermont .
Most recently, nurses at Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans voted 72-45 to unionize.
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