Frequently Asked Questions
+ I'm devoted to Denver Health and our mission. Why do we need a union?
We are devoted to Denver Health. We need a unified workers voice to advocate for the patients we serve as well as ourselves. We seek to elevate Denver Health and to make Denver Health a better place to work and receive care.
We are organizing for our health and safety and that of our patients; studies show that patient outcomes are better at hospitals with unions. Workers with collective power can provide a crucial voice of experience. Strengthening that voice will improve Denver Health and it will save lives.
Furthermore, together we can help create positive changes for Denver Health and the community we serve by advocating for increased federal funding, legislative change, and even changes in national protocols for future crises.
+ What will the union do for me?
The real question is what will we do for ourselves? Separate and alone, there is not much we can do. Together we will build an independent organization of Denver Health workers to advocate for ourselves and the people we serve. Together we will set our priorities, including
- Patient and worker safety
- Equitable wages, benefits and working conditions
- Mutual aid and legal assistance to insure justice on the job
- Public funding for public health patients and programs
+ Is this just for nurses? Can anybody join?
Denver Health Workers United is for all workers, both in-patient and out-patient: Phlebotomy, PTs, Lab Techs, CNAs, Clerks, Paramedics, MDs, EVS, RNs, CNAs, RTs, Pharmacy, Registration, Social Work, OTs, SLPs, Dietary, Patient Coordinators, Program Coordinators, CNMs, NPs, PAs, and more.
If you believe that improving the workplace at Denver Health will create better patient outcomes, join the union. If you want to build an independent organization to fight for more public funding for Denver Health, join the union. If you think advocating for our staff will make Denver Health a better place to give and receive care, join the union. Together we will have more power in addressing issues for all Denver Health workers.
+ I heard we cannot have a union at Denver Health. Is that true?
No. All Colorado workers have the right to form, join, and be active in workplace unions. Because Denver Health is a public entity, Denver Health workers do not currently have a formal legal access to employer-recognized collective bargaining but nothing prevents us forming our own union to address issues at work. The stronger our union, the more power we have to address the issues we care about at Denver Health.
+ Nurses tried to unionize years ago. What is different now?
Denver Health workers needed a union in the past and we need one now; that much has not changed. Today, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the public support for frontline healthcare workers and our rights is overwhelming. Public support for unions is near an all-time high. We are uniting all workers at Denver Health, not just nurses. Finally, we are not letting the current absence of collective bargaining rights stop us; we are forming a union now. This is called 'open unionism'.
+ Wouldn’t a union just take my money and control when and where I work?
No. Union membership gives us greater power; it does not take our power away. We are building an organization which is deeply democratic and will fight for whatever is important to us - because it is us.
+ Is it true we have no legal right to a union and that the union is a third-party?
No. We are Denver Health workers, not an outside group, and we have the legal right to form a union.
As we discuss on our "DH Admin, Don't Break Our Hearts" page, we expected that Denver Health execs would try to dissuade us from building our union. Execs are employing some tired anti-union messages: "it's futile so don't even try" and "the union is a third party". In addition to being a misprioritization of needed Denver Health resources, the letter is deeply misleading.
The right of Denver Health workers to form and join a union is legally protected under Colorado state law and the US Constitution. By building our own collective power as Denver Health employees, as is within our legal rights, we can address issues at work including safety, working conditions, compensation, funding -- while also fighting for formal collective bargaining rights.
Secondly, Denver Health Workers United is us. We have worked at Denver Health for thousands of years between all our union members. We are working day and night to provide Level 1 care for all. Don't be misled by our top executives who seek to misinform and keep us apart. Unity and action make a difference and we are undeterred. Together we will make Denver Health a better place to give and receive care. Join us!
+ I'm scared I'll get retaliated against for joining a union and I don't want to lose my job.
If you are afraid at work, you need a union. You have the right to join the union and to be active in the union at Denver Health while in non-work spaces, on non-work times. It is unlawful for Denver Health to retaliate against you for joining or encouraging others to join the union; it violates the First Amendment and Colorado state law which guarantee freedom of speech and freedom of association. The best protection is power in numbers and union membership. Over 100 workers at Denver Health are publicly supporting Denver Health Workers United. Get involved today!
+ The hospital doesn’t have a lot of resources because we serve the public regardless of ability to pay. Isn’t it selfish to demand more?
No. It is the nature of the healthcare worker to serve others but altruism can be easily abused. Our commitment to our mission is part of why we are forming a union. Evidence points to better patient outcomes in unionized hospitals. We can be a voice for more public funding for our institution. Our working conditions and our patients’ care conditions are intrinsically interlinked. The hospital we love will be better if workers have a strong and independent voice to address our issues. This is not selfish; it is common sense.
+ Will we go on strike? I don’t want to leave my patients without support.
Nobody wants to leave patients without support. When health care workers strike, they vote in advance to authorize the strike and that decision is never taken lightly. We are at the beginning of our efforts to form a union of Denver Health workers and striking is not appropriate at this stage. Our short and long term goal is to build the strongest, most effective, and democratic union we can build. The bottom line is that what we do as Denver Health Workers United will be up to us.
+ I see there are over a hundred public supporters of the union. Do I have to be a public supporter?
No. Not all of our members have chosen to put their names on the list of public supporters of the union. We encourage all to join the union, regardless of whether you wish to share your name publicly at this time. You can always talk one-on-one to your trusted co-workers and add your name as a public supporter later.
+ Why Open Unionism?
Open unionism is suited to our current circumstances at Denver Health. Without an existing recognized right to collective bargaining, Denver Health staff need a way to build power and address issues now; that’s why we chose the strategy of open unionism. Open unionism relies on the legal bedrock of constitutional rights under the first amendment, the right of free speech (including speech about workplace conditions) and the right of assembly (including the right to join an organization of your choosing). We build our union now with co-workers who, like us, know that Denver Health will be a better place to give and receive care when staff have a powerful, independent voice for change.
How do we create change without collective bargaining?
Denver Health Workers United has already created change. The day after we announced our union effort, our administration made cuts to executive salaries. While many staff had been advocating for a voice in decision making since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, two days after we formed our union our administration told us that shared governance was being restored and stated they wanted to hear our concerns. Many of us have spent years suggesting positive changes for Denver Health as a workplace. We now believe that the best way to address our shared concerns is by building a strong union for all Denver Health staff.
Collective bargaining is one tool in the toolbox. As Denver Health employees we do not currently have the legal right to collectively bargain. Together we aim to change that along with other needed improvements for staff. To make Denver Health the best possible place to give and receive care, we will build power through workplace unity, community support, and political action.
+ What are Denver Health Workers United members calling for right now during the COVID-19 crisis?
A. Adequate staffing, training and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). B. Fully paid pandemic sick leave for all staff. C. No cut hours and limits on mandatory overtime. D. Hazard pay. E. Respect for our freedom of speech and right to organize a union.
+ Is Denver Health Workers United about more than just COVID-19?
Yes. Many of us have long felt the need to have an independent voice for frontline staff on safety, working conditions, justice on the job, wages and benefits. While COVID-19 spurred us to action, the truth is that we needed a union a long time ago. Now is the time for us to build a movement to improve Denver Health as a workplace now and for future generations of workers. We love Denver Health and together we can make it even better.
+ Did Denver Health Workers United reach the threshold of 100 members?
Yes. Over 100 people joined Denver Health Workers United within 36 hours of our website going live on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo!), 2020.
+ How much are dues and how are they spent?
It is a sliding scale based on how much you make between $15-55 dollars per month. Dues mean resources; resources mean power. Power means ability to address our issues.
Dues support the operational expenses of our organization including organizing resources, trainings, website, flyers and materials, staff, lobbying and legal services, and more. We are incorporated and registered to operate as a 501(c)(5) nonprofit, and our future officers are statutorily prohibited from benefiting from proceeds — all money we collect goes to organizing and operating expenses.
+ How can I join?
You can join here. Dues are $15-$55 per month, depending on your salary. Until June 1, 2020, all members' dues will be set at $1 per month. At that time, Denver Health Workers United members will begin to pay full dues.
+ How do we actually form a union? Is it really as simple as signing my name and paying some dues?
Yes. We are asking all Denver Health workers to join the union and pay dues. We will grow our union, gaining power with each new member. We cannot wait any longer to build a strong, independent worker voice at Denver Health. We need to join and build our union today.
+ Who is going to run our new union?
The union members. We are joining CWA Local 7799, a newly chartered democratic union which includes Denver Health workers and University of Colorado employees. As we grow in size, union members will vote in elections to elect our own officers.
+ Why CWA Local 7799?
There are 40,000 health care workers all over the country in the Communications Workers of America. CWA Local 7799 is a newly formed union which includes University of Colorado workers who share our circumstances of forming a union before having formal collective bargaining rights in order to build power and have a voice at work. This strategy of building power without collective bargaining rights is called 'open unionism' (also known as minority unionism). CWA 7799 is open to all employees at Denver Health, CU Anschutz, and workers on all CU campuses - regardless of job titles.