New national nurses union forms

karenchad · Dec 21, 2009

The majority of nurses have listened to the frightening scare tactics of the management. The majority of the nurses in our country are not familiar with a union or how a union works. Management has put these horror stories out there. Nurses have the right to organize, have the right to information, have the right to read it ( because we nurses live in the USA and are able to read). If a group of nurses want union literature they have the right to it. Maybe those "union Members" running through the halls of the sacred hospital in scrubs are indeed NURSES. They probably are nurses who have decided to get together to form a union because they are FED UP (with this crap= the way management is running things and screwing the nurses and patients), contacted the nursing union leadership , got the literature and are distributing it in their own work place. And will hold 'organizational' meetings and ALL the nurses in the entire place will have a chance to vote- union: yes or no. As pointed out= if we nurses are so happy with management's ways, why is there talk of unions. Happy people do not complain! May be we nurses are not as dumb as management thought we were= BIG CEO salaries, profits, bene, bonuses, unemployed nurses, stressed out nurses that are left, patients dropping dead in ER's- poorly staffed- the list goes on!! These are FED UP Nurses- Go Girlfriends!!!

Jerry 75 · Dec 21, 2009

At one non union hospital I worked in my co workers in ED would have to be sure no one was around when ever they discussed anything about the union trying to get into the hospital. What type of nonsense it this to be afraid to talk about something like this?

Anyway I went from that hospital to another hospital that was unionized and got a $ 5or $ 6/ hr raise and better benefit package!

It's amazing to me to see how many Nurses cry about Union dues and yet they are the first ones to call a rep when administration is trying to mess with them.

I have also seen Nurses new to Unions who not realizing it got written up once, twice 3 times then they finally realize they shoulda went to the rep the minute they new of any write up! And their job may have been saved!

Above all when ever called in to yoiur supervisor ask if this meeting will involve any disciplinary action. If he says it will cancel the meeting untill you can have a union repo go in with you.

Labor Management Partnership has done allot to open healthy dialog with administration to let them better understand the needs of Nurses and also to let Nurse know their performance expectations.

Woodenpug, BSN · Dec 22, 2009

To karenchad:

No, not sarcasm. Every topic seems to be so polar here, both union and non-union positions are valid. I'm sorry we can't discuss this issue without each side making extreem, largely inaccurate, statements about the opposing position.

nicurn001 · Dec 22, 2009

Agreed Woodenpug , but I guess Nurses simply arerepresentative of the country which unfortunately is divided . All of us sometimes get lost in the passion of a thread on occassions .

PICUPNP · Dec 23, 2009

If so many Texas nurses are fed up with their jobs, why aren't the unions proliferating here?

RN4MERCY · Dec 23, 2009

december 14, 2009
unified, yes; united, no
as the new nursing union behemoth--the national nurses united--is unveiled, some of its new members aren't exactly jumping for joy
the day that she became the first executive director of the nation's largest nurse union, rose ann demoro took to the microphone at the group's inaugural rally and pointed to a nearby statue of a famed native american historical figure.
"this is the first group of people who were told that labor-management partnerships would work for them," demoro declared to the enthusiastic union crowd assembled with protest signs outside the arizona hospital and healthcare association, according to her own recounting of the anecdote afterward.
the comment equated american pioneers known for their brutality and broken promises with modern hospital administrators who have increasingly been using written agreements between labor and management to quiet the discontent of the unionization process. it was the kind of demoro-esque comment that thrills many union nurses and sends shivers of emotion through healthcare executives.
"the people who have their hands on the levers of power here don't have ideas that we would consider mainstream ideas," said management labor consultant chris cimino, president and ceo of chessboard consulting. "there is some very radical ideology that is in charge of driving the nnu."...
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20091214/reg/912119988

i note the article you cite is from a trade industry publication and as a disclaimer, i admit to being a member who is "jumping for joy". the significance and importance of nnu is not lost on direct care nurses and they are deeply appreciative of the opportunity to be a part of this historic undertaking.

the union-busting management labor consultants get paid a lot of money to spew garbage like "...very radical ideology...driving the nnu" and they never support what they say with facts. they get executive nurses to do their handmaiden dirty work for the boys by regurgitating those words among staff nurses in a karl rovian fashion, which is to say, if you repeat a lie often enough people begin to believe there's some truth to it.

thankfully most direct care nurses are more sophisticated than these busters give them credit for. afterall, we collect facts, make assessments and evaluations everyday. the busters, the hospitals, and the insurance industry cronies belong to trade industry associations and wouldn't even think of working without a contract.

what's so radical about nurses wanting to belong to a professional and labor organization to protect their vital role as patient advocates on behalf of their patients? what's so radical about safe nurse to patient ratios? what's so radical about nurses having whistleblower protection? what's so radical about equitable access to therapeutic and effective health care services for all people?

contrary to mr. cimino's assertions, the ideology of the nnu is wholly congruent with the values of the nursing profession and very mainstream; it's inherent in the social contract between the profession and the public. :specs:

nicurn001 · Dec 23, 2009

If so many Texas nurses are fed up with their jobs, why aren't the unions proliferating here?

Maybe it's something to do with Texas culture , don't you think ? . From reading the various threads on this Forum , there are a lot of nurses who do not like the working conditions in Texas , but are too are scared to do anything , for fear of retribution from their employer or being placed on the Group 1 blacklist.

If Texas is such a haven for nurses why is it that employers have to resort to the above tactics to keep their staff keep their staff in their place ?

PICUPNP · Dec 23, 2009

What tactics?? Texas culture is anything but people not standing up for theirselves. The nurses I have had the pleasure of working with are more than able to stand up for theirselves. I tend to think that its because we are right to work and the unions would find themselves unionizing hospitals with no way of recouping their ridiculous dues. If the union doesn't stand to make any money off of the nurses they represent, how could they possibly continue to pay their leader over $200K/yr. Why is it that the union didn't last very long in Houston? Why don't we active campaigning at area hospitals other than the feable attempts to disguise themselves as healthcare workers handing out union cards? There's no money to be made off the nurses in Texas and most of us know a bad thing when we see it!

allnurses Guide · Dec 23, 2009

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9

Texas(Page 8)

While their campaign to negotiate the first private-sector collective bargaining agreement for RNs in Texas history is known throughout the country, registered nurses at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center in Houston are blazing another trail with the founding of their first professional practice committee (PPC) in October.

"We decided that we did not need to wait for contract negotiations to be complete to have a strong advocacy committee for our patients," said Raul Sotelo, an ICU RN and bargaining team member at Cypress Fairbanks.

The PPC is a nurse-led, nurse-run committee that meets monthly.

Unlike other hospital "committees," the PPC does not include members of management and formulates independent opinions and recommendations.

Cy-Fair nurses have already negotiated a "tentative agreement" that their PPC will be recognized by hospital management once a contract is in place, will meet on paid time, and can require a written response from hospital management on all of its recommendations.

http://www.calnurses.org/publications/registered-nurse-magazine/2009/rn_mag_oct_2009.pdf

nicurn001 · Dec 23, 2009

what tactics??as mentioned above retribution and blacklisting amongst others, as mentioned by texas in other threads on this forum . texas culture is anything but people not standing up for theirselves. the nurses i have had the pleasure of working with are more than able to stand up for theirselves i have the pleasure of working with nurses who can stand up for themselves and are prepared to work collectively , inconjunction with the union as and when necessary .n.b. we have no problem with people standing up for themselve , the union is simply there to support them if employer pressure is focussed upon them inappropriately .. i tend to think that its because we are right to work and the unions would find themselves unionizing hospitals with no way of recouping their ridiculous dues. if the union doesn't stand to make any money off of the nurses they represent, how could they possibly continue to pay their leader over $200k/yr. why is it that the union didn't last very long in houston?last i heard the union is still there , no decision from nlrb yet , i know you will correct me if i am wrong . why don't we active campaigning at area hospitals other than the feable attempts to disguise themselves as healthcare workers handing out union cards?please elaborate as to the circumstances of this event , as i am not aware of it and as i said on another thread with you , if organizers were acting in a manner that could / should have been reported then reportthem to the appropriate authority there's no money to be made off the nurses in texas and most of us know a bad thing when we see it!

what happenened to the two nurses in texas , i believe winkler county who were being prosecuted for reporting a doctors illegal activities to the tmb . quite a good example of where advocacy for patients can get nurses in texas and another example of the tactica you seem to be unaware of .

merry chrismas to all participants upon the allnurse forum

PICUPNP · Dec 23, 2009

what happened to the first three hospitals on the neutrality agreement between cna/nnoc?

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join us in congratulating our sister hospital facilities and nurse that have successfully blocked cna/nnoc from going to a vote.... houston northwest and park plaza hospitals in houston, texas. the other facility cypress fairbanks is in the process of an anti-union decertification election as you read this today.. our votes and support are will all of you ! [color=#a618ad]see the official nlrb withdrawl below... it is truly a shame that they have to blame everyone else but the fact that they did not have enough signatures! nurses do have a voice and they have proven it ... and they didn't have to pay any monthly dues either!

allnurses Guide · Dec 23, 2009

https://allnurses.com/texas-nurses/i-think-i-425226.html

https://allnurses.com/texas-nurses/want-move-texas-426726.html

https://allnurses.com/texas-nurses/military-wife-question-429467.html

https://allnurses.com/texas-nurses/group-one-background-108647.html