Federal Government Orders MedStar Washington Hospital Center to Provide Critical Staffing, Health, and Safety Information to Nurses

The National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency, has found that MedStar Washington Hospital Center violated federal law by refusing to provide nurses and our representatives with copies of the 2012 AHRQ Survey on Patient Safety Culture, copies of the current staffing plans for each unit, and daily deviation from the established staffing plans. Rather than work with nurses collaboratively to improve staffing and patient safety at the hospital, management claimed confidentiality and wasted thousands of dollars to wage a failing legal battle to withhold the information.

This second decision follows the September 11, 2013 ruling of Judge Arthur Amchan, an administrative law judge of the National Labor Relations Board.

Judge Amchan ruled that the hospital must provide the requested information to National Nurses United.

Instead of accepting the ruling, providing the information, and beginning to address nurses’ serious concerns about staffing, health and safety, management appealed the ruling to the National Labor Relations Board in Washington.

By appealing, management prioritized concealing their safety record above all else. Management has wasted thousands of dollars diverting money that should be earmarked for care and improvements to their attorneys in a shameless attempt to hide the truth about their safety record.

The decision orders management to post a notice acknowledging violation of federal labor law. Further management has been ordered to cease and desist from refusing to bargain collectively with National Nurses United, and interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees. A full copy of the decision can be found at www.nursesunited.org

Their first Facility Bargaining Council meeting will take place Wednesday, May 21, at 5:00pm in the True Auditorium at Washington Hospital Center. RNs are invited to attend for a discussion about winning improvements in our next round of contract negotiations.