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St. Peter’s Health fires union consultant following internal leak of nurses' personal information – Daily Montanan [1]

['Nicole Girten', 'More From Author', '- October']

Date: 2023-10-03  

St. Peter’s Health ended its contract with union consultant Niles Commer after nurses discovered a document created by a consultant containing their personal information, and it felt to them like a “low blow.”

The hospital described the document as having “sensitive information” about nurses.

CEO Wade Johnson apologized in an email obtained by the Daily Montanan and received by nurses at St. Peter’s Health following the document’s discovery.

“I feel the approach and content contained in the document our consultants created is completely unacceptable,” Johnson said in the email.

The health organization is conducting an internal investigation into the incident, according to a statement from St. Peter’s to the Daily Montanan.

Commer was hired by the hospital system after nurses at St. Peter’s voted to hold a union election next month to decide whether to join an existing nurses union, the Montana Nurses Association.

But last week, watchdog nonprofit LaborLab filed a labor complaint and characterized Commer as a “union buster,” an allegation the hospital denied.

Nurses feel slighted and hurt at the document’s creation, but the hospital system said the tactics used did not align with its values.

In the statement to the Daily Montanan, St. Peter’s Health confirmed there was “an incident last week where a document containing sensitive information became accessible beyond the intended recipients.”

“It is our responsibility to safeguard the privacy and well-being of our employees, and as such, we take full responsibility for this incident occurring,” the statement read.

St. Peter’s Health confirmed it is no longer working with any third-party consultants and is conducting an internal investigation.

“But the more important issue is that this incident was inconsistent with our values,” the statement read.

Robin Haux with the Montana Nurses Association said nurses were upset the document was created, and it eroded trust with the organization.

St. Peter’s Health nurse and Local 13 Montana Nurses Association President Gina Davis told the Daily Montanan nurses have previously had a great working relationship with the healthcare provider, and this incident marked a shift for them.

“It felt (to nurses) like a low blow,” Davis said. “To have someone come in and do these union-busting-type tactics was disheartening.”

In Johnson’s email, he said he will continue to address the issue and will be meeting with nurses on Wednesday to discuss the matter further.

“This gathering is not mandatory, but we appreciate another opportunity to apologize to you in person,” he said in the email.

Johnson also stressed the importance of the hospital’s relationship with nurses: “I want you to know that we care more about our relationship with you than whether or not you choose to be part of a union.”

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[1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2023/10/03/st-peters-health-fires-union-consultant-following-internal-leak-of-nurses-personal-information/

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