Des Moines

UnityPoint Health nurses in Des Moines have filed complaints with federal labor officials against the health system, accusing hospital administrators of trying to illegally discourage their union efforts.

The accusations say the health system maintained illegal and overwrought work rules, intimidated workers and removed and destroyed union materials, said Tanner Fischer, president and business agent for Teamsters Local 90.

Nurses are still collecting the signatures required to trigger a vote to form the union. If collective bargaining with the health system is ultimately successful, organizers say the union would represent about 1,550 nurses at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Blank Children’s Hospital, Methodist West Hospital and Iowa Lutheran Hospital.

nurses described instances of union organizing posters in staff breakrooms being taken down, and even torn up, by management.

They say staff who attempt to set up tables in public spaces of the hospital to spread the word about the union are met by arbitrary rules from leadership meant to infringe on that effort