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Nurses working to unionize at Miami Valley Hospital
Nurses at Miami Valley Hospital are working on organizing to form a union.
• Why unionize? Concerns over patient safety given hospital staff being strained by patient loads.
• Grassroots effort: The group is still in the grassroots stage, trying to gauge interest and connect with other employees. They are hoping to unionize under the UAW, under which CareFlight’s union is organized.
• What they are saying: “We had a really rough winter, especially with Influenza A in the area, and our staffing ratios have been terrible,” said Emily Wu, one of the nurses leading the organizing efforts.
• Staffing ratios: This is the number of patients a nurse is responsible for caring for. Nursing advocates across the state have repeatedly tried to get laws passed mandating certain nurse-to-patient ratios for different hospital settings.
• What Premier Health is saying: “We believe that fostering an environment built on direct, two-way communication, where we understand and address the daily realities of our caregivers’ needs, makes union representation unnecessary,” a statement said.
• Leadership pushback: One organizer was reportedly fired over passing out flyers, according to the group trying to unionize. They’ve filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.
New center seeks to unleash ‘untapped’ entrepreneurship in Dayton
Local leaders say Dayton has lots of untapped entrepreneurial talent, and they believe a new business resource center will help unlock that potential.
• Innovation Business Resource Opportunity Center: IBROC has been described as a collaborative hub that will make it easy for new and established business owners to access resources and time-saving tools, plus connect with a network of partners and service providers.
• Improved coordination: Supporters say IBROC will simplify the process to access funding, mentorship and operational guidance. They say IBROC will greatly improve coordination between business service organizations.
• What they are saying: “Dayton is blessed to have a multitude of organizations that are helping entrepreneurs and helping small businesses. This really connects those organizations together and lets us speak with a single vision and a single voice,” said Scott Koorndyk, president of the Entrepreneurs’ Center.
• Funding: Dayton city government is providing $2.4 million in grant funding for the IBROC, which will be operated by the Entrepreneurs’ Center, in partnership with the Miami Valley Urban League. The funding comes from the Dayton Recovery Plan, which is the city’s spending blueprint for the $138 million it received in federal COVID relief dollars.
What to know today
• One big takeaway: A new direct primary care practice in Vandalia is among a growing trend of independent doctors who don’t accept insurance in an effort to provide more personalized care to patients.
• Best of Dayton 2025: Vote for your favorites here.
• Tip of the day: Fun things to do in Dayton — specifically for a 9-year-old.
• Big move of the day: Accelevation, a rapidly growing Dayton-area company that designs the inside of data centers, just moved into a larger new home and is set to expand again.
• Dayton Food & Dining: Genoveva “Genny” Escamilla, whose family owns Los Mariachis in London, Springfield and Xenia, said its goal is to make customers feel like they’re at home.
• Inside Ohio Politics: The Ohio Senate passed House Bill 15, a legislative effort to reform aspects of energy delivery in the state. The bill ends a fee for coal plants on Ohioans’ electric bills.
• Ohio State Buckeyes: Coach Ryan Day says Lakota East graduate Austin Siereveld will be a starter for Ohio State this fall.
• Thing to do: This weekend, there will be many events taking place across the Dayton area including pop-culture celebrations, theater productions and festivals.
• Athlete of the week: Okemdi Eze. This Alter senior is a first-team All-Greater Catholic League athlete in football and track and field and was named GCL field events athlete of the year as a junior.
• Photo of the day: HorrorShock Records hosted the first Halfway to Halloween Fest at Yellow Cab Tavern. The event was a one-night horror rock spectacle packed with live music and vendors that brought the spirit of October to spring. Check out more photos from Tom Gilliam here.
