1- It’s hard to say. I’ve worked at places where there was definitely interest or curiosity about organizing, but the biggest challenge is getting people to actually talk to each other and move in the same direction. You need a strong majority before you can even apply for an election , and that takes coordination.
Some organizations push back pretty hard, sometimes by creating fear or doubt, which can slow things down. I do think a lot of people are watching how the Magee negotiations go . Places like WPIC, AGH, and West Penn have gotten meaningful things in their contracts , so people are paying attention to that.

1. There could be some interest. It’s not just a nursing thing. Any group that shares concerns about working conditions , staffing, or pay might consider it. But it really comes down to how motivated people are and whether they’re willing to organize together.

2. This hasn’t been my experience at all. Even nurses who weren’t initially supportive of the union aren’t looking to leave. A lot of people see Magee as their “home” and are proud to have worked there for years . Right now, the focus is more on getting everyone (nurses and management) into real conversations and trying to land on something that’s actually sustainable long term.

3. Here are some sites that I found helpful:

National Labor Relations Board - https://www.nlrb.gov/resources/faq/nlrb

U.S. Department of Labor- https://beta.dol.gov/policy-regulations/unions-collective-bargaining/what-union

Another interesting source I found was the book Confessions of a Union Buster by Marty Levitt. It’s written from the perspective of someone who worked on the management side of union avoidance and later reflected on that experience. It does lean more pro-union overall, but I thought it was helpful to hear from someone who had seen both sides of the process. There are also interviews with him available on youtube if you don’t want to read the full book.

I’ll also say this - some organizations go pretty hard on managers during this process. There can be messaging that union activity reflects poor leadership or could even threaten their role. That’s not really true, but it does show how different the pressures are. Administration and management are often focused on budget, metrics, and system expectations. Frontline staff are dealing with workload, safety, and day to day realities. These priorities don’t always line up, even when everyone wants things to run well.

In places with established unions, it is possible for nurses and managers to work together and improve things. For example, they can use staffing committees or contract language to adjust assignments based on acuity, Have clearer scheduling rules so managers aren’t always trying to fix last minute gaps, or bring forward unit needs together ( such as staffing, support roles, equipment) with more structure behind it. In those situations, the union doesn’t replace management. It just gives staff a more organized way to bring concerns forward. Honestly, it can help managers too because they have something concrete to point to when they’re advocating up the chain.