Unionizing for better health care
Interview with Bonnie Olson, surgical technologist, Sacred Heart Medical Center

Why did you vote to join a union?
"Basically, hospitals have always paid a little lower, and right now there's a shortage of help. Voting union is one way to help get people into this field. It wasn't just the pay."

Why should the average consumer care whether hospital technicians are unionized?
"They should care because unions aren't just about the money. There's lots of language in the contract that concerns patient care, like making sure the quality remains high. For the ordinary person, unions can help make hospitals be more accountable."

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