MILWAUKEE — Three employees at Rogers Behavioral Health Clinic in West Allis lost their jobs after attempting to unionize, according to a former employee. The firings raise questions about workers’ rights and the potential for retaliation when employees seek collective bargaining power.
Unionization Efforts Lead to Terminations
Mental health professionals at a Wisconsin clinic allege they were fired shortly after delivering a petition to form a union.
- Stephani Lohman, a former nurse practitioner, says she was fired Monday for her involvement in unionizing efforts.
- The employees delivered a union petition last Wednesday and three were terminated the following Monday.
- The National Union of Health Care Workers has filed charges, alleging the firings were illegal.
- Employees reported a significant increase in workload, potentially impacting patient care, as a catalyst for unionization.
Stephani Lohman, who worked as a nurse practitioner at the clinic for a year, stated, “Oh, I thought, I’m about to get fired for forming a union.” Lohman explained that she and her coworkers delivered their union petition politely and courteously last Wednesday, and by the following Monday, three of them were terminated. This suggests a swift response from the clinic following the petition’s submission.
Increased Workload Cited as a Factor
Lohman noted a substantial increase in workload beginning in September, almost tripling the number of patients each therapist managed. “Right before I started at Rogers, maybe four to six patients, and for a case load, so you can kind of imagine a therapist is managing the care, now they might have up to 16,” she said. This surge in patient numbers reportedly led to a reduction in the quality of services provided, prompting the employees to take action.
“A reduction in the kind of services patients were receiving, which means a reduction in the quality of service,” Lohman explained, highlighting the concern for patient well-being as a driving force behind the unionization effort. In October, Lohman and two coworkers initiated the process, contacting the National Union of Health Care Workers, which already represented Rogers’ office in California.
The response was overwhelmingly positive. “We decided as a group that we ask all of our coworkers to sign a petition and form a union, if we had a supermajority of 65 to 70 percent, was our goal, and then pretty quickly, we learned we were going to far surpass our goal,” Lohman said. A total of 36 mental health professionals from the Rogers Madison location and 63 from West Allis signed the petition. Despite this strong show of support, Lohman and two colleagues were fired this week.
The National Union of Health Care Workers issued a statement calling the firings illegal and announced they have filed charges against Rogers, demanding reinstatement for the terminated workers. Rogers Behavioral Health acknowledged the petition filing at its Madison and West Allis locations and stated it is cooperating with the National Labor Relations Board. However, the clinic added that it does not comment on personnel matters.
