Dive Brief:

• The number of unionized hospital workers is growing, and, under new rules, hospitals will have less time to get ready for union elections, an industry consultant said.
• In February, the National Labor Relations Board proposed changing the rules to reduce the days between when a petition is filed and an election is held from from 42 days down to 10 to 21 days.​ "It's easier to unionize with a quicker election," Jame Trivisonno, president of IRI Consultants, said in a recent report.
• Against this backdrop, it is crucial for hospital leaders is to be prepared for a campaign even prior to the filing of a union petition, Trivisonno said. Hospital administrators should prepare for a possible 10-day campaign by having a written plan, educating staff, performing a "vulnerability" assessment, communicating regularly with staff, providing leadership development opportunities for managers and keeping employees engaged.

Dive Insight:

Trivisonno cited a growing trend in which healthcare unions use corporate, or public relations, campaigns to put pressure on hospital and health system officials. And, in an era when news travels swiftly, he said hospitals must be ready to respond immediately to unions' assertions. But the bottom line, according to the hospital consultant, is: "If you involve employees in decisions that affect their jobs and people see their managers and supervisors as advocates, unions will have a difficult time."