Corporate Senoirity VS. Bargaining Unit Seniority...

Nurses Union

Published

Person A started two years ago; stayed casual/PRN in a different department up until about 2-3 months ago, when they transferred to a part-time position on the same unit as person B.

Person B started one year ago on the same floor, after orientation, as of December of 2012 they have been part-time.

Casual/PRN does NOT have bargaining rights.

Part-time does have bargaining rights.

Person A and B both applied for the same position on their floor and the person chosen for the position is based on seniority.

So which seniority is it; corporate or bargaining unit?

This is a touchy subject. I have worked for the same company for eight years, at three of there hospitals, two of them union, one not union. In my current union position they only count the hours I have worked as a union member, so my eight years seniority is reduced to three years. Obviously I would like to have credit for the time I've worked for the company, not just the union.

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Hmm - not familiar with this type of environment, so I am very curious.

What role does actual job performance/competency play in the hiring decision? Does seniority trump everything so the manager has to fill a position with the lesser-qualified candidate if s/he has more seniority?

The qualifications still have to be met. Once the qualifications are determined, seniority becomes the deciding factor.

At the hospital that I used to work at, seniority was determined by the hours worked, including sick time, vacation- paid time off hours, anytime you were on the books. Or if you had to take a day off because the census was low. They were called Budget Days.

This accounted for staff who were partime, or perdiem. Yes, we were union.

It wasn't perfect, but it was fair.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

It depends on the contract but in my experience it is Bargaining unit seniority not facility seniority.

SO the casual/per diem is considered an outside contractor and therefore an outside hire that has no seniority.

In this instance ...person B would be hired.

Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

Every contract is different.

My years as an LVN did not count when we bargained our first contract. It was "Date of hire as registered nurse". I still got my 20 year and subsequent pins according to my original hire as an LVN.

A nurse who had been management and then changed to a position that qualified for representation would use his hire date (including years as manager) for the purpose of seniority.

+ Add a Comment