Top 10 Reasons Against Unions

Nurses Union

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amygarside

1,026 Posts

nurses should benefit from unions IMHO

Mindful, RN

306 Posts

Specializes in Critical-care RN.

MrChicagoRN, RN

2,597 Posts

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

Wow. 14 pages over 3 years.

Chicago is a big market, with lots of competition for quality clinicians. Most nurses aren't union here. Most Hospitals know that a nurse will vote with their feet if conditions are poor, and know they are in competition to create a positive work environment. Every place I've been in the past 23 years has had shared governance or some form of nursing council where nurses could speak for themselves.

Mindful, RN

306 Posts

Specializes in Critical-care RN.

BrandonLPN, LPN

3,358 Posts

Wow. 14 pages over 3 years.

Chicago is a big market, with lots of competition for quality clinicians. Most nurses aren't union here. Most Hospitals know that a nurse will vote with their feet if conditions are poor, and know they are in competition to create a positive work environment. Every place I've been in the past 23 years has had shared governance or some form of nursing council where nurses could speak for themselves.

It's hard to "vote with your feet" when the economy's as bad as it is.

"Shared governance" is a joke. It's frilly, foo-foo window dressing, just like "nurse appreciation week" or the dumb little trinkets they give us on our employment anniversary.

MassED, BSN, RN

2,636 Posts

Specializes in ER.

Just some information, so that others who read this can view what a union can do. I have been on both sides of this as a nurse and I have to tell you, it's nice to know you've got someone on your side (think separation of church vs. state) should you need it. A hospital will look out for themselves, ultimately. If it's them or you, who do you think they will back up? This is not to say there is any perfect solution, but knowing that you have someone to go to about your nursing ratio/patient care that is separate from budget and bottom line concerns really is the only way. How can you expect any reasonable assistance for nurses when a company is concerned about a business where the more patients and services means more money. That is a direct conflict to me. Management is business. Nurses are concerned for patients. We need someone to look out for us and not let budgetary concerns be the primary focus with a business.

Take a peek at some of the things below that a union CAN do. If you compare this to what you have in a non union hospital, this would be AWESOME to have.

RN Compensation

  • Salaries: salaries up to $85.15/hr for career RNs
  • New graduate rates up to $51.73/hr for day shift.
  • Shift differential: *12 percent for evenings, 20.5 percent for night shifts.
  • Paid education leave: up to 12 days per year.
  • 13 paid holidays per year.
  • Preceptor pay: $2.50/hr for preceptor assignments.
  • Charge pay: $3.25/hr additional pay.
  • Weekend differentials: 30 percent additional pay.
  • Call back while on-call: double-time.
  • Per diem pay: 25 percent pay differential.
  • Overtime: time-and-a-half after eight hours, double-time after 12 hours.
  • Experience credit: increased pay for years worked as an RN inside or outside the U.S.

Defined-Benefit Pension Plan

  • Full and part-time RNs receive defined-benefit plan.
  • Pension credit for per diems who work 1,000 hours per year.
  • RNs who transfer to another CNA/NNU*****-represented hospital in a system are able to bring full earned pension credits.

Health Benefits

Full coverage for the RN and her/his family, including health, dental, and vision, paid by the employer with no co-pays.

Scheduling

  • No cancellation: RNs cannot be cancelled from a regularly-assigned shift.
  • Preference over travelers: Regularly-scheduled RNs have preference over travelers in scheduling and cannot be floated from their unit if a traveler is there.

Longevity Incentives

  • No mandatory weekends after 20 years of service.
  • Longevity raises at 9, 11, 16, 20, 25, and 30 years.
  • Five weeks of vacation after 10 years.
  • Increased monthly pension.
  • 15 days per year sick leave after five years.

Specializes in ICU, BURNS, TRAUMA, TRANSPORT, HH.

It seems that those are all positive things.

I still wonder why some are so disturbed by the notion of nurses benefiting from a union?

Perhaps I am not appreciating some nuance here...

could someone help me out?

MassED, BSN, RN

2,636 Posts

Specializes in ER.

Anothergrump,

I have had someone tell me "look what happened to Detroit." Well, drugs happened to Detroit. American automakers moving out is also what happened to Detroit. One can't say it was the autoworker's unionizing. Please.

Honestly, I can see nothing wrong with nurses wanting someone else to look out for them, rather than their employers best interest (which is their bottom line). That translates to budget, not patient ANYTHING. We all know the song and dance that is fed to us, but it's all just politically correct stuff. Healthcare is a business. A BIG business and someone needs to look out for those of us that are in harms way EVERY day. Police have unions. Teachers have unions. Why can't nurses? Like it's somehow expected that we are martyrs for our calling? That we shouldn't complain when safety is our utmost priority? We should just deal with it? Everything in our world is political, including healthcare and business. It's a fact. Why shouldn't we explore each option and organize nurses to improve our careers? Remember how horrible the nursing ratios were years ago and California really brought that to the forefront? I can't remember the name of the hospital at the moment, but it was groundbreaking news. They changed nursing culture.

Meeh619

222 Posts

My husband was a welder in California, he was getting cheated for time he was at work. Like mandatory breaks or clocking out late but no overtime. Someone brought it up to management but nothing was done. We moved to Texas & 4 yrs after the fact my husband got checks every 3 months for a yr & a half. The union got every single worker the pay they deserved. Bonus: my husband wasn't even in the union. He got less money then those that paid dues but still they got taken care of. & I bet this company learned to give these guys their breaks & pay them as they promised. Companies don't care about you or your fanily, your just another replaceable worker. You need someone to be the bigger voice!! These big companies have a big voice why can't we!!

allnurses Guide

herring_RN, ASN, BSN

3,651 Posts

Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
=MrChicagoRN;7445821]Wow. 14 pages over 3 years.

Chicago is a big market, with lots of competition for quality clinicians. Most nurses aren't union here. Most Hospitals know that a nurse will vote with their feet if conditions are poor, and know they are in competition to create a positive work environment. Every place I've been in the past 23 years has had shared governance or some form of nursing council where nurses could speak for themselves.

University of Chicago Hospital RNs are union members. In 2011 about 1,300 UCMC RNs were union members.

Cook County hospital, clinics, public health and correctional RNs are union members. In 2005 there were about 1,800 union RNs employed at Cook County.

Jackson Park RNs recently achieved their first union contract with improved staffing grids for every hospital unit that can not be changed without the agreement of both management and the bedside nurses, increased staffing as needed based on individual patient illness, and two extra RNs on each shift as a "float pool" to assure safer staffing.

Other significant patient care gains include limits on the assignment of nurses to clinical areas outside their specialty expertise, safe patient handling provisions with special lift equipment for patients to stem patient falls and accidents and worker injuries, and a Professional Performance Committee of staff nurses, elected by their colleagues, to meet with management to address patient care issues. Jackson Park Hospital employs about 140 RNs.

I quoted inaccurate numbers in error.

They are deleted, but can be seen below.

MrChicagoRN, RN

2,597 Posts

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

The number of patient-care RNs in Illinois is 6,020

http://nursing.illinois.gov/ResearchData.asp

University of Chicago Hospital RNs are union members. In 2011 about 1,300 UCMC RNs were union members.

Cook County hospital, clinics, public health and correctional RNs are union members. In 2005 there were about 1,800 union RNs employed at Cook County.

Jackson Park RNs recently achieved their first union contract with improved staffing grids for every hospital unit that can not be changed without the agreement of both management and the bedside nurses, increased staffing as needed based on individual patient illness, and two extra RNs on each shift as a “float pool” to assure safer staffing.

Other significant patient care gains include limits on the assignment of nurses to clinical areas outside their specialty expertise, safe patient handling provisions with special lift equipment for patients to stem patient falls and accidents and worker injuries, and a Professional Performance Committee of staff nurses, elected by their colleagues, to meet with management to address patient care issues. Jackson Park Hospital employs about 140 RNs.

Those three hospitals employ a total of 3,240 union registered nurses. This is more than half of the direct care RNs in the state.

I couldn't find that figure in your link

Illinois RN and LPN. Around 138000. http://www.bls.gov/ro5/oesilnur.pdf

Openings per year. 6145 (RN). http://nursing.illinois.gov/PDF/2011%20RN%20Statewide%20Sup-Dem%20Analysis%20FINAL%20(2).pdf

3240 Unionized RN is a small percentage

allnurses Guide

herring_RN, ASN, BSN

3,651 Posts

Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
I couldn't find that figure in your link

Illinois RN and LPN. Around 138000. http://www.bls.gov/ro5/oesilnur.pdf

Openings per year. 6145 (RN). http://nursing.illinois.gov/PDF/2011 RN Statewide Sup-Dem Analysis FINAL (2).pdf

3240 Unionized RN is a small percentage

Thank you! You are correct. I was wrong.

I clicked the "central region"

I wondered how the 2011 numbers for registered nurses by the state of Illinois could be so different from the 2012 Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers in your link.

Clearly the 3,240 RNs working in three Chicago hospitals who are union members plus the Veterans Administration RNs are a small % of the in illinois 123,339 or 120,494 direct care RNs in the entire state.

This was the link I clicked.

Economic Development Regions (EDRs) Supply-Demand Analysis for RNs:

Number of licensed RNs, 2011 (IDFPR) = 8,323

Percentage of licensed RNs retired = 11.0%

Percentage of RNs in non-patient-care industries = 10.9%

Number of licensed APNs, working as APNs = 480

Number of patient-care RNs = (licensed RNs) less (% RNs retired) less (% RNs in non-patient-care industries) less (licensed APNs, working as APNs)

= 6,020

Number of RNs, 2011 (IDES estimate) = 5,600

2011 Central EDR Supply-Demand Analysis for Patient-Care Registered Nurses (RNs)

I should have clicked this one:

2011 FINAL: LABOR MARKET SUPPLY-DEMAND ANALYSIS FOR PATIENT-CARE

REGISTERED NURSES ILLINOIS STATEWIDE

Demand:

1.Determine current/base year occupational employment and projected growth rate.

Reconcile with other data sources (e.g., IDFPR licensure data).

Number of licensed RNs, 2011 (IDFPR) = 161,326

Percentage of licensed RNs retired = 8.3%

Percentage of RNs in non-patient-care industries = 10.9%

Number of licensed APNs, working as APNs = 7,012

Number of patient-care RNs = (licensed RNs) less (% RNs retired) less

(% RNs in non-patient-care industries) less (licensed APNs, working as APNs)

= 123,339 Number of RNs, 2011 (IDES estimate) = 117,648

* Current Occupational Employment

, Registered Nurses = 120,494

http://nursing.illinois.gov/PDF/2011%20RN%20Statewide%20Sup-Dem%20Analysis%20FINAL%20%282%29.pdf

HERE: State of Illinois, Illinois Center for Nursing - Research Data

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