INCREDIBLE CNA/NNOC victory in Houston.

I didn't get burned. I just see no value, only increassed difficulty in getting anything done. I am opposed to spending money for things I already own. I have a voice and can use it quite effectively. The union guarentees NOTHING except that it will collect my dues and spend them any way they see fit without my input. I do not agree with many of the things dues money are spent on. Especially with CNA. They just recently paid HCA RNs from all over the country to attend a 3 day workshop. All expenses paid to go to San Francisco. Private hotel rooms, lavish meals. A friend of mine went ans said "we feasted!!" I don't want to pay for other prople's vacations when I barely get my own every other year.
Its much deeper than having been burned once...

I hope that the CNA/NNOC is more effective than some other unions representing RNs around the country. The facility where I work is unionized. We are no better off financially than other RNs in the city, in fact, our pay lags behind some of the non-union facilities. We are supposed to have some advantages in the work rules area, but our union is weak and ineffective. Basically, the hospital agrees to things in the contract, violates them, and the union does nothing. Oh, they do collect 70.00 per month. You are not permitted to opt out of membership (most of the RNs would). If you opt out of the union. you must leave your job.

I think why some people have the attitude displayed by Nancy2 is that they are one of the chosen few , who get what they want , at the cost of everyone else and they know they will not be able to wheel and deal so easily in the future , so rather than lose the little individual power they have , they work against others achieving collective bargaining.
On a corporate level , I cannot understand how these individual nurses think they can bring about systemic change to the corporation , even they have to work collectively ,to gain evidence for any change proposed and have any hope of having that change implemented .

In my experience, the union makes it's own rules for how "votes" go. Be it for contract ratification or for strike authorization. I have never seen a union do a public counting of ballots like the NLRB does. They count the ballots in private behind closed doors and the outcome is always what the union wants!! "The employees overwhelming voted in favor of..." I fought the battle to try to be invovled. Unions are not a democracy! He who counts the ballots wins!