[samanthaRN]

I found this in one of the local papers where these elections were scheduled. It makes all the pious arguments from CNA about these nurses being lucky to not have SEIU seem pretty hollow.

Nurse union sinks effort at peaceful vote


Thursday, March 13, 2008

Three's a crowd when it comes to the attempt to settle a long running dispute between Springfield Regional Medical Center and a union that has waged a struggle to represent its workers.

An unusual deal to settle the question appeared to have been reached between the hospital and the Service Employees International Union to hold a non-contentious vote on unionization.

The California Nurses Union, no friend of the SEIU, had other ideas. It entered the process at the last minute bearing a monkey wrench.

The vote set here for Wednesday, March 12, was called off after the rival union sent representatives into the hospitals here to talk to workers. That poisoned the effort to skip the usual histrionics that too often mark such votes. The idea was to let local workers decide without a lot of pressure from either side.

The nurse's union arrived saying the SEIU would be the hospital's poodle in negotiations if it won the right to negotiate.

The California union claims the vote agreement was the result of collusion.

A deal to negotiate a weak contract in exchange for allowing the SEIU to represent workers would be illegal.

If the nurses union has proof of such a deal, it should come forward with it.

On the surface, the SEIU doesn't appear to be Milquetoast in its relations with management.

It has waged a three-year, angry battle here and elsewhere at Ohio hospitals that are part of the Catholic Healthcare Partners system. There was no love lost between the union and the hospital.

Elsewhere, the SEIU has called on nurses to strike for a contracts, a decidedly unpoodle-like behavior.

One of the main reasons that the hospital decided to allow a representation vote is the pressure brought by the SEIU, the AFL-CIO and other unions on Catholic bishops to make Catholic Healthcare Partners stop fighting unionization efforts, according to a New York Times report.

The consolidation of Community Hospital and Mercy Medical Center has left many hospital workers confused, angry and fearful. Some complain that health care here has suffered as the hospital has tried to stem the flow of red ink.

It may be fertile ground for a union.

If workers really want to unionize, their desire has been at least postponed.

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/o/...itunion_R.html

[samanthaRN]

Originally Posted by RN Power Ohio

If SEIU and CHP had demonstrated the support of workers in a democratic manner that is typically done then no one would have objected to this election. Those of you who signed this open letter were involved in the process of organization with SEIU the majority of other employees were not. This is unfair to the others as they should have the right to be informed and have time to deliberate and choose their representation.

...
Now that the concept of organization is on the table in your workplace there can be and should be a collective discussion about what organization is right for each employee.

www.ReformSEIU.org.

Clearly you did not read the above letter from employees who actually work at these hospitals! They have been unionizing for three years and the cna never approached them until their out of state organizers went to try to get them to vote no! This is not about a "concept of organization" this is about nurses finally having a chance at hospitals all over ohio to have a real seat at the table, and having it pulled out from under them by a purported nurses organization.

[NorthernNurse1]

My goodness, how did we get on to "my bill is stronger than your bill"?

THIS IS ABOUT CNA ACTING AS A UNION BUSTER.

One of labor's main issues is to get a "freedom to organize" bill passed, so workers will be able to vote for a union, free from interference, intimidation, and harrassment--sounds like the neutrality agreements both SEIU and CNA have participated in before, and like the one in Ohio. (Although, previously, most of us would have thought the freedom was from employers doing these things--not from unions!)

Is the CNA suddenly opposed to freedom to organize on principle? Or just when you are not on the ballot???

Do you want this vicious in-fighting to go on forever?

Or did CNA just want to bust up an election for 8000 workers because they were not there? (that would be a "yes".)

CNA would not even allow a large portion of those healthcare workers into their organization, so their function was purely as a spoiler.

No matter what justifications you offer up for it, CNA harmed those workers. If CNA wanted in, they had 3 years to act--but that is not their modus operandi.

They would rather destroy workers' chances at a better life.

Shame on you, CNA.

[UNIONGIRL]

CNA has done some real damage when it comes to RN unionizing. They have yet to actually find nurses who want to be in a barganing unit and help them organize, instead, they choose to wage combat with SEIU and then nurses are back to where they started. On their own, struggling with management and the issues that brought the nurses together in the first place.

[klbackus]

My heart goes out to Linda and the other RNs at Catholic Health Partners who have had their dreams shattered by CNA—a so-call patient advocacy organization and so-called union.

My nursing career has been dedicated to advancing nurses’ voices in our hospitals, our communities, our state legislatures and in Congress. I’ve chosen to work with the Service Employees Internation Union (SEIU) because it is the best organization to advocate for professional nurses in all of these areas.

The California Nurses Association (CNA) stooped to an all-time low when it interfered in a democratic election whereby 8,000 nurses and other hospital employees could choose whether or not they wanted to form a union with SEIU. Now, those caregivers are left without a voice—not SEIU, not CNA.

This is just another ill-spirited maneuver that threatens our patients and our profession. Time and time again, CNA has used whatever means necessary, including lies, threats, and intimidation, to prevent healthcare employees from uniting in SEIU—these are not virtues that our profession stands for. And these tactics aren’t isolated to one state, much less the state of California where 100,000 RNs are without a union. I’ve seen it in St. Louis, Chicago, Reno, Las Vegas, Memphis and more.


Even hospital union-busting consultants don't go this low.

[Spidey's mom]

Good grief to both sides . . . . saying that "caregivers are left without a voice" if SEIU or CNA aren't representing nurses. Hyperbole!

No one is muzzling me. I have a voice. And I'm proudly non-union.

You both are behaving badly and sounding like the old style union thugs.

Shame on both of you.



steph

[gratefulgranna]

It is very disturbing that the CNA is spending their time disrupting the union organizing efforts of SEIU. At a time when less than 8% of private sector workers are organized--it is clear that there is plenty of NEW territory. How can Rose DeMoro pass herself off as a tradeunionist when her strategic plan is the destruction of RN & other HEalth care worker organizing. There is not ONE nursing organization and there is not one way to organize. Clearly the open letter indicates the workers at CHP knew what they wanted and who they wanted to organize with. Did it ever occur to the CNA in their arrogant wisdom that the Boss filed for the election believing the Union would lose??? It is actions like the CNA interference that promotes the negative stereotypes of unions and promotes the demise of tradeunionism in this country. Having witnessed CNA negative tactics in St. Louis---I can only say I was proud that SEIU was principled and honest in their communications & support of the Nurses at St John's. The leadership rose above the sewer tactics of the CNA.

[Spidey's mom]

And so it goes . . . .

I'm noticing most of the posters just joined and only have a few posts . . . . hmmmmm.


steph

[Ludlow]

Ryegal, I'd like you to consider that the RN employee and the employer do not have the same goals. RNs must advocate for the well-being of their patients. Employers have bottom lines and stock holders to satisfy. These 2 very different goals make it all but impossible to have a meaningful partnership.

You know your patient needs clean linen, your hospital tells you to only use one set of sheets a day (I've been told that!!!). You know your patient needs ICU care, your managers tell you to transfer him and be sure to do it within 1 hour. I'm sure there are dozens of scenarios going through your head right now as well.

As RNs we need a union that will back us when we stand for our patients even though it goes against the financial interests of the hospital. In SEIU contracts, there literally is a specific clause that states that hospital financial interests trump all. If you truly are an advocate for your patient, you cannot stand for that.

Andy Stern's SEIU, in the end, in trying to be a 'partner' with management only ends up selling out workers and patients. Those 8,000 Ohio health care workers now have a chance to find real unions who will really fight for their rights and the rights of Ohio's patients. I suggest that the registered nurses start out by signing up with NNOC.

[ingelein]

Originally Posted by stevielynn

And so it goes . . . .

I'm noticing most of the posters just joined and only have a few posts . . . . hmmmmm.


steph

YES, seems strange.