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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Following weeks of advocacy from the IAM Union, Pharmacy Technicians, elected officials and community supporters, the Kansas Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) has ruled that 37 previously uncounted ballots will be included in the final tally of the recent union representation election involving Pharmacy Technicians at the University of Kansas (KU) Health System. The order allows KU to request a hearing and delay the ballot count.
The ballots were received after the initial vote count, but were all postmarked before the election deadline. PERB’s decision ensures that every timely cast vote will be counted before the election results are finalized.
In recent weeks, the IAM Union called on Kansas officials to protect the integrity of the election. IAM Union International President Brian Bryant sent a letter to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly urging immediate action, while Kansas State Rep. Nikki McDonald (D) publicly called for every properly postmarked ballot to be counted.
KU Pharmacy Technicians also held a rally, garnering significant community and elected official support. A petition supporting the full ballot count has more than 600 community signatures.
“I mailed my ballot on April 18, nearly a month before the count, so finding out my vote hadn’t been counted was incredibly frustrating,” said KU Health System Pharmacy Technician Meagan Bacon. “I voted because there are things that need to change to make our pharmacy safer and stronger for both workers and patients. The people doing this job every day deserve a voice, and every worker who followed the rules deserves to have their vote counted. We’re grateful for the PERB’s decision and hope KU doesn’t challenge the board’s decision to uphold our right to have our ballots counted.”
The election covers Pharmacy Technicians at the KU Health System’s 39th Street Main Campus in Kansas City and its Southlake specialty pharmacy in Lenexa, where workers are seeking representation with IAM Healthcare/The Pharmacy Guild.
The final outcome of the election will be determined after the 37 timely ballots are counted.
The IAM Healthcare Union is part of the 600,000-member IAM Union, one of North America’s largest and most diverse labor organizations. IAM Healthcare is the home of The Pharmacy Guild, the premier voice for pharmacy professionals across the United States. Learn more at PharmacyGuild.org.
