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The State Employment Relations Board (SERB) of Ohio recently certified the union election victory for nearly 1,000 Patient Care Associates (PCAs) and Psychiatric Care Technicians (PCTs) at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. SERB’s certification confirmed the results of the mail-ballot election conducted from Dec. 5 to 19, 2023, with the ballot counting concluded on Jan. 3, 2024.
The organizing effort was a collaboration between the IAM and the Ohio State University Nurses Organization (OSUNO), a local of the Ohio Nurses Association and an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), which represents approximately 4,000 Registered Nurses (RNs) at the Wexner Medical Center.
“We are delighted to officially welcome the Patient Care Associates and Psychiatric Care Technicians into the IAM,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “This certification represents a long battle to achieve respect and dignity for our newest members at the OSU Wexner Medical Center. “Our union will provide the necessary resources for fair wages, improved working conditions, and better patient care for our members.”
“I am excited about moving forward after the successful certification by SERB,” said IAM Organizing Director Mike Evans. “The campaign highlights the culmination of months of collaborative efforts between IAM, OSUNO, and healthcare workers at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. We will now move to enhancing representation and amplifying the voices of PCAs and PCTs, ensuring their concerns are addressed effectively. I want to thank my predecessor, IAM Chief of Staff, to the International President Vinny Addeo for his vision to help provide a better path for PCAs and PCTs at OSU’s Wexner Medical Center. I also want to salute IAM Grand Lodge Representative Ali Rhodes, lead organizer on this campaign, for her tenacity to see this campaign through the certification process.”
“The resilience and patience exhibited by the PCAs and PCTs at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, as evidenced by the certified vote by SERB, continues to inspire me,” said IAM Grand Lodge Representative Ali Rhodes. “We proudly embrace them into the IAM and eagerly anticipate collaborating to receive justice on the job.”
This historic triumph underscores IAM International President Brian Bryant’s unwavering commitment to expanding the union’s influence in the healthcare sector. It also continues the successful IAM-AFT Health Care Organizing Partnership, showcasing the unions’ collaborative strength.
“Their victory sets the stage for improving healthcare throughout the state of Ohio and the IAM Eastern Territory,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “We will work towards achieving a first contract that gives the PCAs and PCTs a strong voice at the Wexner Medical Center.”
