Hear from Workers >> Kelly Beringer
Kelly Beringer | Resurrection Medical Center, Chicago |
Kelly Beringer was called to nursing a little later in life, graduating from Concordia University West Suburban College of Nursing in 1994 at the age of 37 and going straight to work for West Suburban Medical Center, which was acquired by Resurrection Health Care in 2004. A mother of two boys, Beringer cherishes the work she does in the Labor and Delivery Department, where her peers consider her one of the most talented nurses in the department. But she was dismayed by changes that took place as Resurrection’s corporatization took hold of the hospital’s policies. “Hospital management is more focused on the bottom line. Nurses are burning out. And fewer young people are willing to put up with the stress and overwork of bedside nursing,” Beringer says. The solution was clear: “We need a voice to advocate for our patients. We need a voice to protect our rights at work. Only a union can give us that voice.” Yet despite her passionate commitment to the mothers and babies she sees every day, and despite her sparkling work record, Beringer began to receive different treatment after publicly declaring her support for a union at work. “They began changing my work assignments, making it harder for me. They took assignments I treasured—like triage—away from me, even though I was needed there. Suddenly, I got written up. The care I provided suddenly didn’t mean anything, because I was for the union. What does that say about their priorities?” Beringer lives in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, where West Suburban is located. | 
