Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Nurses at Ford Chicago Assembly Persevere, Vote to Join UAW

Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

The six nurses at Ford’s Chicago Assembly plant withstood a vigorous anti-union campaign and voted to join UAW Local 551. The vote was 5-1.

The workers want more say in how their workplace operates, citing concerns about chronic understaffing and the company’s 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,” said Mary Quasney, an associate nurse at the plant. “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. The support from the workers was amazing. They truly had our backs the entire time. I think it made us want to be a part of the union even more.”

“I’ve been a member of this local for over 30 years, and during that entire time, the nurses here have never been unionized,” said 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.”