By Susan Lowery

Reference Archivist, Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor

Mid-century America was a pivotal moment for civil rights and women’s liberation. Amid these movements, working women felt the strain of being under-appreciated by their employers.

After years of unions being formed by men, women were now building their own platforms to advocate for better salaries and working conditions. One such group was made up of nurses from Youngstown, Ohio.

As early as 1964, general duty nurses working for the Youngstown Hospital Association had discussed the inequality between full-time and part-time nurses' salaries. Full-time nurses received a $0.10 raise, while part-time nurses, who fulfilled the same workload, were only paid $0.05 more.

Additional complaints included the lack of a Saturday premium, grievance procedure, and retirement or pension plan. Part-time nurses received even less: no sick leave, vacation pay, hospitalization insurance, or holiday premium pay.

The argument was: “Why should anyone spend three full years or more to become professionally qualified, only to receive $2.10 an hour? Why should married women incur childcare and transportation expenses and take time away from their families for the shockingly low pay of $2.10 to $2.35 per hour?” [1]

In 1966, the nurses formed the Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association. With support from the Ohio State Nurses Association (O.S.N.A.), they sent the Youngstown Hospital Association their list of grievances.

The hospital’s administrative head refused to correct any of the inequalities. Eventually, the hospital issued a one-sided policy statement, but this was not what the nurses had demanded.

They created homemade posters not only to encourage nurses to join them, but also to make a bold statement about the unfair treatment by the Youngstown Hospital Association. These posters illustrated the effects of the nurses’ daily struggles.

Within the Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association, committees formed to work on contract proposals, bylaws, and publicity. There was even a Husband Committee, made up of men who supported their wives' efforts.

People from all over Ohio sent in letters of support, and some included monetary donations.

Because of the “no-strike” policy of the Taft-Hartley Act, the nurses had no choice but to resign from their positions, which they did. Starting on December 1, 1966, nurses from the North and South Side Hospitals submitted resignation letters to the head of the Youngstown Hospital Association and picketed for 14 days. They called this their “ultimate weapon” because they knew their services were desperately needed, and time away would affect patient care. But the Youngstown Hospital Association left them with no alternative.

After months of negotiations, the Youngstown Hospital Association and the Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association reached an agreement. The new contract included an increase in starting salaries, an established grievance procedure, and allocations for holiday pay, vacation, sick leave, overtime, and insurance. The following year, a pension plan was instituted.

[1] "Youngstown Hospital Association General Duty Nurses’ Story and Fact Sheet," Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association Records, YHC MSS 0239, Box 79. Folder 1.

Learn More:

The images featured in this blog post are part of the archival collections at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor

"The History of the Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association," by Dr. Marcelle Wilson (published 2021)