300-plus workers at Unity Hospital vote to unionize

More than 300 workers at Unity Hospital in Fridley voted this week to unionize, according to union and hospital officials.

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota said that nearly 60 percent of those voting in a Tuesday election supported creating the union.

Workers in the bargaining unit include nursing assistants, dietary aides, environmental services aides and other health care jobs, the union says. The unit expects to now begin bargaining its first contract with the hospital.

"By voting to form a union, we showed that we the employees do count and we're going to look out for patients' safety and our own safety," said Tania Logacz, a nursing assistant from Coon Rapids, in a statement issued by the union.

Unity is part of the Minneapolis-based Allina Health System, where a spokesman said the hospital respects the decision by service workers.

"We will continue to focus on encouraging all hospital employees — those who supported the union and those who did not — to come together and work as a team," Allina said in a statement.

In 2013, Unity Hospital had nearly $186 million in net patient revenue, placing the medical center 22nd out of 133 hospitals in the state on a revenue basis, according to financial data from the Minnesota Department of Health.