Employees at the University of Vermont Health Network’s (UVM) home health and hospice segment have voted to unionize.

A majority of the organization’s 85 hospice staff voted to formalize a union agreement following six months of organization. The unionized employees includes nurses, social workers, licensed nursing assistants, chaplains, bereavement coordinators, volunteer coordinators and administrative staff, as well as cooks as the McClure Miller Respite House.

These staff have joined AFT Vermont, a labor union that represents employees of health care and higher education institutions.

“We’re doing this to build a better hospice,” Lindsay Gagnon, a hospice nurse practitioner at UVM, said in a press release. “We deserve fair caseloads, so we can give each patient and family the best care possible at the end of life. We deserve fair pay that reflects the highly skilled and specialized care we provide. We deserve respect and a voice, to ensure every team member has what they need to thrive while doing the work we are so passionate about.”

About 88% of UVM hospice employees voted yes to unionization. The votes now must be certified, after which the union will begin negotiating its first contract with UVM.

Unionization is uncommon in hospice, but local media reports in some communities show that the movement has gained some ground. Hospices that are affiliated with larger health systems, like UVM, may be more likely to see staff participate in labor unions.

Case in point, unionized staff at Providence Hospice of Sonoma County in California in September 2024 reached a labor agreement with their employer.

In January of last year, palliative care physicians at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Oregon voted to join the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNCHMA) labor union. This followed the unionization of more than 70 doctors at another Oregon health system, Cedar Mill Hospital.

In late December 2023, home health and hospice nurses at Oregon’s PeaceHealth Sacred Heart health system threatened to strike unless they receive wages that are comparable to the hospital’s inpatient teams.

Also in 2023, about 1,500 hospital workers at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in California voted to unionize with the Service Employees International Union, and employees from the affiliated Sharp HospiceCare followed suit in April.

In Oregon, nurses at St. Charles Home Health and Hospice in Bend joined ONA in late 2022 to negotiate for improved working conditions, compensation and other issues.

UVM in a statement indicated that the organization is prepared to negotiate “in good faith”with the union.

“University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice (HHH) is committed to a culture where our people feel heard, respected and supported Having served patients and clients wherever they call home in Chittenden or Grand Isle counties for over 100 years, every single one of our employees is central to delivering exceptional care,” the statement indicated.