Governor Tony Evers And Democratic Lawmakers Endorse UW-Health Nurse Union
Nurses, lawmakers, and healthcare workers gathered on the capitol steps in front of a crowd of over 50 people this past Saturday in Madison.
The Nurses Week Speak Out was coordinated to support the organizing nurses at UW-Health and encourage the UW Hospitals and Clinics Authority to recognize their union. For about an hour and a half rally attendees expressed appreciation for the work nurses did throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the most notable supporters of the union effort and speakers at Saturday’s event, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.
Addressing the nurses in the crowd, Governor Evers said, “This pandemic has exposed how critical you are to keeping our communities safe and healthy and has only further highlighted the need for essential workers to be able to unionize and be represented in the workplace.”
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Carol Lemke, RN, left, and Shari Signer, RN, speak at a rally Saturday marking Nurses Week and calling for union representation for nurses and other health care workers. Erik Gunn/Wisconsin Examiner.
A blurb for the Today show was typical of the top hits in a Google search on ‘nurses week 2021’ over the weekend: “Where to score free coffee, cookies, tacos and more.”
But in front of the State Capitol Saturday morning, scores of nurses and their supporters wanted a lot more than freebies. They called for respect and a voice on the job.