Unions

Nurses Union

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  1. Are you a member of a nursing union?

    • 57
      Yes, and proud of it
    • 10
      Yes, but I hide the fact
    • 123
      No

190 members have participated

I was just wondering peoples views on Unions, from reading other posts I got the inpression that unions are not a standard thing. One of my lectures this semester was two of the big nursing unions came in and gave us informations, so we could join. They are even willing to cover us as students.

What does everyone else think about unions?

I absolutely LOVE your description of what most people probably think of in reference to the word "UNION". It seems to spark fear in most sensible people. I understand the misconception because back in the early 60's my soon to be father-in-law was approached by "THE UNION" at their warehouse in San Antonio to spearhead the movement. When he declined, he had a few "Accidents" and ultimately joined. These tricks are a thing of the past, yes even in the South! Unions are invited into a business to assist the employees not badger or injure them. The movie persona does not exist for the most part. As I said in a previous post, my ex-husband was the president of the OCAW local for many years. I ate with, traveled with, and visited with the execs of this union and they were there to assist the membership to have their voices heard and protect them from wrongful punishment and termination. They may not be the be all to end all but in this area it is a necessity.

To answer your question, FLEX is a part time employee, 32 hours per week or less, who is paid more hourly (ha, ha) because they opt out of benefits (insurance, retirement, 403B, paid holidays, paid vacation, etc). When she told me that she received no raise I was livid. I wanted to take it up a level, but she declined. I have since been approached about becoming the DON of this unit and I am really having reservations about even interviewing. The system isn't a good one, I have been lucky to work for some really great directors so I'm not hurting. But, I know many who are.

bbnurse,

I like your words. I wish I would have said something like that.

:D

BB, you would rather fight your own battles, and doubt others' motives in fighting with/for you , but how much better will your odds on winning the battle be if you are part of an organised group of nurses, with similar aims to your own? One UK union (a rival to my own) ran a campaign on TV, whre a bear is sitting in an ant's path. The ant says"Excuse me!" and the bear swats it. Next thing, the bear is surrounded by ants, deafened by their all shouting "EXCUSE ME!!" Guess what? He moves over!

Specializes in Pediatric Rehabilitation.

the ants don't have to belong to a union, though

bb,

wonderfully said.

don,

those ants could congregate WITHOUT having a union represent them; without their money padding someone else's pocket.

I believe the ants here are in with the elephants. If I represent myself, I KNOW WHO I'M REPRESENTING! moi

The hospital I work in voted in a union(UAW Local 12) over 1 year ago. The progress has been slow. The hospital has really fought us tooth and nail. Our wages and benefits have greatly increased. But we still have alot of the same old problems: Staffing and patient ratios. But at least we now have some say even if its not what we want to hear. We now have a process that lets our concerns be heard. As I have learned over the past year a union is what I and my peers make of it. My work would like us to believe the union is a waste of time that we could work our difference out. This is all mgmt propaganda we will never be equals. If we were able to work out our differences and not belittled into working long shifts in poor working conditions the union wouldn't have been an issue. So in closing I am proud to be a union member. Solidarity Forever.

Specializes in Pediatric Rehabilitation.
Originally posted by scobiesue

But at least we now have some say even if its not what we want to hear.

lol..and that's different from non-union how???

those ants could congregate WITHOUT having a union represent them>

Dont you get it? Once they congregated together, they became the union. The representative just teaches them about the law and their rights under it - which they, being ants, may not know everything about.

>

Who's pocket? The imaginary fat guy in the fedora? The money nurses pay in my union goes for their own services.

Direct-care Nurses in NY State just voted to increase their own dues because they want to develop and make available certain new services for themselves.

Specializes in Pediatric Rehabilitation.
Originally posted by -jt

those ants could congregate WITHOUT having a union represent them>

Dont you get it? Once they congregated together, they became the union. The representative just teaches them about the law and their rights under it - which they, being ants, may not know everything about.

>

Who's pocket? The imaginary fat guy in the fedora? The money nurses pay in my union goes for their own services.

Direct-care Nurses in NY State just voted to increase their own dues because they want to develop and make available certain new services for themselves.

Jt,

What I don't get is the following: Why do we need to be called a "union" to unite? Nurses are educated, not incapable of law intrepretation. I'm impressed that YOUR union representative volunteers his/her time and law knowledge for the betterment of your members. I'm not niave enough to think we'd be so lucky as to find someone willing to DONATE their time. I'm sitting at work, right now, 3 patients on a post surgical unit. My pay is average for my area. I'm not bragging, nor am I blind to the likelyhood of a future like many have with higher nurse/patient ratio's. BUT many of those with worse conditions are ALREADY represented by a union. Right now, IF I feel mistreated, I can go to management and speak for MYSELF, I don't have to go through a bunch of union red tape. If I want to work Christmas for my buddy, I can without having to okay it with a union or without having to run the seniority chain first. Representing myself doesn't cost me a dime. I just can't see what a union can do for me that I can't do for myself.

You said yourself that a union is only as strong as its members, so if we aren't strong enough to stand for ourselves, then joining a union is not going to solve any problems either.

If unions are so great, then why aren't you guys years ahead of the non-union areas?? Some of the biggest complaints I hear on this bb are from nurses belonging to a union. From the way you talk, I'd expect your pay to be far superior to a non-union nurses; I'd expect your working conditions to be awesome. That ain't what I'm hearin'!

I grew up a coal miner's daughter, so I'm not ignorant of unions. I agree, that in some industries, union representation is necessary. I, however, can NOT see where a union is beneficial to nursing now, in the past or in the future. WE are in demand, we don't need a union representative to tell us OR management that!

>

and your recourse when they choose not to address your issue and otherwise blow you off is.......what?

So can I. We dont have to run to "the union" for "permission" on things like that either. Where do you get these ideas about how it works? See, this is what I mean about misconceptions. I still think some nurses mistaken perceptions about how a union of nurses works is based on their own ideas that they got from other peoples past unions and not from the facts. Good unions of NURSES do not operate like your coalminer's union did years ago. There is no comparison.

Our contracts guarantee that "holdiays off will be distributed on an Equitable Basis". If it was by seniority, then the same nurses every year would have all the holidays off and others would never get any holidays off.

The "Equitable Basis" language also prevents employers from favoring her pet nurse by giving her the holidays off all the time and treating a less-favored nurse disparately by not giving her holidays off or using this to punish a nurse. If the employer tried to do any of that he would be violating our contract & is legally wrong. The mistreated nurse then does speak for herself and points this out.

Sometimes, it can be resolved right then and that's the end of it but when the manager gives her a hard time, the mistreated nurse turns to her staff RN reps to resolve the issue WITH her & the manager (her "reps" are other staff nurses in the hospital who have been elected by the rest of the nurses and then trained by the association to handle these kinds of things). When the employer blows us reps off too and REFUSES to address the concern, THATS when we call our union office to begin the proceedings that halt the employer from violating our legally-binding agreement and to uphold the nurses right. And the nurse gets her holiday off. Even if the employer has to get agency to fill in her place.

Besides trying to find someone to switch the day off with them, what can your nurses do when the manager schedules holidays off unfairly and administration refuses to respond to your discussion about how the nurses are being mistreated?

Because you keep seeing "THE UNION" - as an outsider coming in to take care of things for nurses. When really its just the NURSES at that facility taking care of themselves - doing exactly what you are already doing yourself - but doing it together as one legally-recognized collective unit - rather than doing it alone one at a time with a much less powerful voice.

You CAN all get together and make a committment to each other to be that group of ants without officially calling yourself "a union" or affiliating with any nurses association to help you do it, but then you would just be a group of nurses and the employer does not have to do anything to address your issues if he doesnt feel like it. And as just a group, you can't force him to. As just a group, you would not have any of the legal rights and protections that you would have as an official union of nurses and nothing the employer agreed to to get your group out of his office would be binding or guaranteed. He could just change his mind at anytime and as just a group, you dont have a legal leg to stand on and he has all the control.

Doing all that you would be doing as a group but doing it as a union of nurses, instead of just a group of nurses, turns the tables in your favor and puts the power of the law behind you.

Thats the difference.

We ARE!!

Take a look at some of the guarantees in our contracts:

Salaries (are higher than non-union nurses)

Differentials for each year of experience as an RN

Differentials for BSN/BS/BA, MS/MA/MSN, PH.D

Differentials for specialty certifications - including med-surg

Charge Nurse differentials inculding charge pay for any nurse taking over charge duties on the Charge Nurses days off

Shift differentials

Daily time & a half for hours worked over the RNs regularly assigned shift - OT pay not dependent on total # of weekly hours worked

No shift rotation

No lay-offs - even if the service/dept RN is working in is eliminated

No conversion of RN positions to other types of personnel - even if vacant

Safe, Enforceable Staffing ratios - unit by unit & floor by floor

Mandatory OT prohibited

Non-nursing tasks (like transporting pts and running to pharmacy) prohibited & ancillary personnel provided for that

Free Health Benefits for ourselves and our families

Free full time benefits for part-timers and their families

Decent Pension plans/Annuities

Workplace Safety Requirements

Employee Assistance Program

Paid 5 weeks vacation, 12 holidays, 12 sick days/yr - up to 3 may be used when dependent/child is sick

Full pay for jury duty

Paid days off to attend CE seminars

CE Seminar fees paid by employer

100% tutition reimbursement for college & courses in BS/BSN/BA, MS/MSN/MA or Ph.D programs

and more....

(nurses unionized with the Minnesota Nurses Assoc. even have lifting limits guaranteed)

Everything in the contract is guaranteed and legally binding and cant be changed, reversed or eliminated by the employer.

What you have, you have only while your employer decides to allow you to have it. The minute he changes his mind or it costs too much.......poof!.... its gone. That happens to nurses who are a 'group'

That cant happen to nurses who are a union.

PS

It makes a difference which union nurses have backing them up as they speak for themselves so its important to shop around and find the one that best helps the nurse members be the strongest they can be.

Nurse4kids, maybe it's me that's niaeve, but,as a union rep, and a nurse, I DO donate my time. As a rep, I am entitled to time off for training, discussions with management, and representing the members. I am not there to defend the member, I am there to ensure that they are dealt with fairly, and within employment law, as well as within the employer's policies and procedures. One of my biggest problems is ignorance. The member does not always know their rights, and, disturbingly often, neither does the manager! My role is not always confrontational, though it can be, but more like a lubricant, making sure the industrial relations machinery runs smoothly. Unions have progressed too, working in partnership with enlightened employers.

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