Nursing Unions

Go to SEIU.com / Service Employees Internation Union, they service alot of nurses. I don't want to scare you, but at my last job, I was on the 'organizing committee' in attempting to for a union where I work......I was harrassed and then fired. Several of us were. We filed complaints/charges with the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) they did an investigation, we went to court and they were found guilty. Had to pay 5 months back pay. The Union can be an asset, as far as support and give your hospital/facility someone to answer to. Some like them, some don't..........even what I went through, I'm still for the Union.

The post I wrote last week was in answer to a question about nurses unions in NY, IL, and CA. You can also find general info about nurses & unions (collective bargaining) at:

"Nurses and Collective Bargaining:

Collective Bargaining Is A Professional IMPERATIVE

What is Collective Bargaining?

Is Collective Bargaining Professional?

What are the Benefits of Collective Bargaining?

How to Organize?"

see: http://www.ana.org/dlwa/barg/index.htm

You can also take a virtual tour online that compares a union hospital to a non-union hospital to see the difference at:

http://www.nursealliance.org

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What your employer did to you was illegal but most nurses will just move on & they get away with it. Good for you for fighting for your rights & making them pay for their actions.

union union union union!!!!!

the dirtiest little word you can utter in a hospital down here in the good ole' south! some actually have written in their policy manuals such phrases as "this is a non-union facility," "union activity is forbidden," etc. since employment is at-will, they will let you go. a good dose of unionization would be good for most nc hospitals. maybe then we would have a say in such serious matters as staffing and salary, and such aggravating matters as pbds, "customer service," piles of useless paperwork and forms. so, yes, i am for unions!!!!!

originally posted by healingtouch

union union union union!!!!!

...maybe then we would have a say in such serious matters as staffing and salary, and such aggravating matters as pbds, "customer service," piles of useless paperwork and forms. so, yes, i am for unions!!!!!

i got a chcukle out of that, i work in a union hospital. you get to vote on the contract, thats about it. they also tell you that a "no" vote is an automatic strike vote, not so, as i told a rep when he said that to me "a no vote means get your ass back to the barganing tabel and begotiate a real contract" he didn't like that. we habve more paper work now than we did 3 years ago, go figure. they want to mrege the childrens hospital in with us, we have absolutly no say in the matter, not do the mds. some unions may very well be great, i have yet to personally experience one that is. this is the thrid union place i have worked. the only thing god i can say about our union is that we can't be mandated to work extra unless it is an absolute emergency ( like when we got 7 feet of snow in 24 hours). however, the hospital my brother-in-law works for is also a union and they can, and are almostly daily mandated to work extra. alos, our staffing , which was the #1 issue when the contract talks started isn';t even addressed in the new contract. we were supposed to have a retirement paln by 12/01, per the contract. guess what, no retirement plan and not much is being done about it. btw thsi is a 7000 nurse union, not some little 200-300 nurse local. careful what you wish for , you might just get it.

Hi Kewl:

Do you reckin' you just have a lousy union? Don't know much about unions, but if they are so bad, WHY oh WHY are all the hospitals FIGHTING THEM TOOTH and NAIL, paying strike breakers $4000/week just to stop them from coming? IF the hospitals are so, so threatened, then there must be something good about them. That's how I figure it. If there is only a CHANCE of us nurses being empowered, it has to be a good thing!

I find it very interesting that here in Canada, our LAWS are more protective of workers and worker's rights, and there are Labour Unions all over the place, in almost every industry. But in the US, especially the South, where "right to work" type legislation means management has the right to treat you comparatively like crap, there are no unions.

Granted, in Canada, our history is that the unions pushed for better labour laws (such as a 40-hour work week is all your employer can require unless you sign a contract stating otherwise). That's one of the good things unions can do. Unions pop up where they are needed. In the earlier part of this century, workers and labour leaders in Canada took huge risks to rally workers together to promote unions -to get safer working conditions and humane salaries, etc. People DID get fired, they did have to go on strike, and publicly fight against their managers. But look at the way general labourers were treated in 1932 vs now. It was worth it, I think. Maybe unions aren't needed here so much now. But elsewhere in north america, I see a need.

If people in the US are getting called in for mandatory OT, low salaries, crappy working conditions, etc - What is being done about it? WHY have unions NOT popped up? Are people not that unhappy with the way things are, are they afraid to take the risk and rally together to fight for better treatment, or are they pursuing other ways of achieving solutions?

OK, management and government can be anti-union all they want. It benefits THEM to take that position and pressure the workers to feel the same. But what about the front-line workers? Why do the people who do this job hate unions so much?

I'm an RN in a small ER and things are getting bad. The case load is growing. There has been many a shift that pt. care is jeopardized I have asked for more help, to no avail. Even though we are a small goup I have considered starting a union. What do you know about Az. Northern Az. that is. Any other Az Rn's out there?

Pebbles, I think it may have something to do with the cult of the individual, eg. you're not a real man/woman unless you stand up for yourself kind of mindset, encouraged by the bosses, of course, as it is always easier to tread on individuals...divide and rule. Gunslinging cowboys, and all that romantic nonsense, which nevr really happened as Hollywood portrays it. Am I wrong?