Big pay cut at Orlando Health, please help your fellow Nurses - page 9

1. 
   Sep 11, '13

   I truly hope they organize a union there and set a precedence for the rest of Florida hospitals!
   I've worked in many hospitals across Florida and I have to say many have horrendous working conditions and are just plain dangerous!
2. 
   Sep 11, '13

   I am not so certain unionizing is the answer. When I was a new grad in Florida, I made $21.86 in Florida, but I did work for the 2nd best payer in town. I now live in DC, and in a unionized hospital where I make $29 and change now. Unionizing doesn't necessarily mean great things will happen. My wage is certainly not comparable to the cost of living here and I did much better in FL, non unionized and making $8/hr less, much better working conditions, and I didn't have the $77 a month fee associated with membership.
   
   I don't know what the solution is, but the first answer should not be union, its not all its cracked up to be. The way I see it, it basically keeps bad nurses from losing their jobs and doesn't really benefit the good nurse.
3. 
   Sep 11, '13

   I am not so certain unionizing is the answer. When I was a new grad in Florida, I made $21.86

   *** Ya, I have always heard that Florida was among the lowest paying states, even relative to the cost of living. Thanks for the confirmation of that.
   
   

   I don't know what the solution is, but the first answer should not be union, its not all its cracked up to be. The way I see it, it basically keeps bad nurses from losing their jobs and doesn't really benefit the good nurse.

   *** I work in a union hospital and hope that my living never again depends on working in a non-union hospital. The benefits are huge. Our union certainly does not prevent our management from getting rid of bad or incompetent nurses.
   Maybe after you have been fired for trumped up reasons, when the real reason you got fired was because you were too high on the pay scale, you will change your mind.
4. 
   Sep 12, '13

   Quote from PMFB-RN

   *** Ya, I have always heard that Florida was among the lowest paying states, even relative to the cost of living. Thanks for the confirmation of that
   
   
   
   *** I work in a union hospital and hope that my living never again depends on working in a non-union hospital. The benefits are huge. Our union certainly does not prevent our management from getting rid of bad or incompetent nurses.
   Maybe after you have been fired for trumped up reasons, when the real reason you got fired was because you were too high on the pay scale, you will change your mind.

   And thank you for proving that union bandwagoneers only see what they want to to prove their points.if my union was so awesome, my wage would be comparable to my cost of living, and my Florida lifestyle would be extended here. My rent in FL was $900/month for a 3/2 condo, here in DC its $1800/month for a studio. Yeah, my union does a lot for me.
   I still have crappy ratios on a step down floor, 6 to 1 sometimes, 5 to 1 mostly, rarely 4 to 1. At my non union hospital, I had 4 to1 mostly, and 5 to 1 rarely, if someone called out. I had 4 PCTs to 28 beds, I am lucky in DC if I have 2, usually its 1 for 30 beds. I had 24 hr phlebotomy in FL, and none after midnight in DC,and I am super lucky if they showup before midnight. Tell me again, how great they are, where is my $77/month going?
   
   No, I will never change my minds about unions. NEVER. The two people that I know that have actually been fired got their jobs back, because of the union. What did they do you ask? One of them stole a hoyer lift and sold it to a patient for $1,200, this was a federal union that fought for him, the other was defended by a national union and hit a security guard with her car, after he confronted her 3 times for illegally parking, she was just recently legitimately terminated again for bullying her colleaugues, abusing the time clock, and violating HIPAA, I hope federal authorities step in and imprison her before the union fights to bring her back. And of course, she has been there for 20+ years and "makes to much", so I am sure that's why the hospital was really out to get her {rolls eyes}
5. 
   Sep 12, '13

   Quote from ginnieann

   And thank you for proving that union bandwagoneers only see what they want to to prove their points.if my union was so awesome, my wage would be comparable to my cost of living, and my Florida lifestyle would be extended here. My rent in FL was $900/month for a 3/2 condo, here in DC its $1800/month for a studio. Yeah, my union does a lot for me.
   I still have crappy ratios on a step down floor, 6 to 1 sometimes, 5 to 1 mostly, rarely 4 to 1. At my non union hospital, I had 4 to1 mostly, and 5 to 1 rarely, if someone called out. I had 4 PCTs to 28 beds, I am lucky in DC if I have 2, usually its 1 for 30 beds. I had 24 hr phlebotomy in FL, and none after midnight in DC,and I am super lucky if they showup before midnight. Tell me again, how great they are, where is my $77/month going?
   
   No, I will never change my minds about unions. NEVER. The two people that I know that have actually been fired got their jobs back, because of the union. What did they do you ask? One of them stole a hoyer lift and sold it to a patient for $1,200, this was a federal union that fought for him, the other was defended by a national union and hit a security guard with her car, after he confronted her 3 times for illegally parking, she was just recently legitimately terminated again for bullying her colleaugues, abusing the time clock, and violating HIPAA, I hope federal authorities step in and imprison her before the union fights to bring her back. And of course, she has been there for 20+ years and "makes to much", so I am sure that's why the hospital was really out to get her {rolls eyes}

   Compared to the east coast at one of the best hospitals in the US A nurse with 20 years experience makes $80.00 or more without shift diff. The benefits are staggering and the working conditions sublime.
   
   While your conditions are worse now than in Florida imagine what they were before the Union came. I was one that didn't believe in Unions...until about 10 years ago when things began to change in the profession. We didn't need them hospitals treated us fairly and treated us well....because it was the right thing to do. Those days are long gone.
   
   I am curious.....Is you hospital Union a nurses union?
6. 
   Sep 12, '13

   I believe you are wrong about unions, just for fun where do you work ?
7. 
   Sep 12, '13

   And thank you for proving that union bandwagoneers only see what they want to to prove their points.

   *** You are mistaken. That's not what I am. I am just a regular staff RN who has worked in hospitals without unions, and now worked in a hospital with a union. I can tell you about my experience. I am not a "bandwagoneer". Just a staff RN sharing my personal experience. If I am ever looking for a new job I will be looking in a union hospital first, preferable a non Magnet one.
   
   

   if my union was so awesome, my wage would be comparable to my cost of living, and my Florida lifestyle would be extended here. My rent in FL was $900/month for a 3/2 condo, here in DC its $1800/month for a studio. Yeah, my union does a lot for me.

   *** Look you have made the decision to work in the worst pay vs cost of living areas on the country. You bear some responsibility for that and the choices you have made. I wouldn't work for the peanuts they pay RNs in Florida and at your hospital in D.C.
   
   

   I still have crappy ratios on a step down floor, 6 to 1 sometimes, 5 to 1 mostly, rarely 4 to 1. At my non union hospital, I had 4 to1 mostly, and 5 to 1 rarely, if someone called out. I had 4 PCTs to 28 beds, I am lucky in DC if I have 2, usually its 1 for 30 beds. I had 24 hr phlebotomy in FL, and none after midnight in DC,and I am super lucky if they showup before midnight. Tell me again, how great they are, where is my $77/month going?

   *** Wow, don't you see that by agreeing to work under such awful conditions you and your co-workers only perpetuate them? Just think how bad it would be without a union!
   Anyway your union is weak and toothless if you work under those conditions. How do you think they will get better if the union goes away? What you need is a better union, not no union. $77 a month seems outrageous to me. I pay $12/pay check. if you resent it so much then WHY are you paying it?!!!
   
   

   No, I will never change my minds about unions. NEVER.

   *** (shrug) It isn't really about you.
   
   

   The two people that I know that have actually been fired got their jobs back, because of the union. What did they do you ask? One of them stole a hoyer lift and sold it to a patient for $1,200, this was a federal union that fought for him, the other was defended by a national union and hit a security guard with her car, after he confronted her 3 times for illegally parking, she was just recently legitimately terminated again for bullying her colleaugues, abusing the time clock, and violating HIPAA, I hope federal authorities step in and imprison her before the union fights to bring her back. And of course, she has been there for 20+ years and "makes to much", so I am sure that's why the hospital was really out to get her {rolls eyes}

   *** Sounds like you have a (weak and toothless) mafia. You do recognize that your unions behavior isn't the way it is everywhere? Right?
   In our case it was pretty blatant. There were 8 nurses who worked every weekend and got paid time and a half in exchange for working 51 weekends a year. We got a new manager who made a point of saying at our first unit meeting that she hated the weekend program and that is messed up her budget. Within 9 months 6 of those nurses had been fired. No other nurses in the unit were fired during the same time frame. The other two saw the writing on the wall and took position elsewhere. The irony is that since without the weekend nurses all the other nurses had to go to working every other weekend without a differential. That caused such bad moral and so many nurses to vote with their feet that they brought back the weekend program but now have 10 nurses on the weekends.
8. 
   Sep 14, '13

   I almost never agree with anything PFMB suggests, but in this case s/he is right (and I am staunchly anti-union). You chose to work there. You are accountable. Stop vilifying the hospital system for trying to sustain financial positions and vote with your feet. They will act in their own best interest, you (collective you, FL nurses being affected) need to act in yours.
   
   I didn't like the NP practice act and salaries being offered where I lived, so I moved 2,000 miles away. Yes, I left family, friends, home, etc. You make your choices and you accept the consequences.
9. 
   Sep 14, '13

   Nurses can decertify their union for another they think listens to them. -- Cook County RNs Drop Bargaining Agent | Seachange Bulletin
   
   I wish the best for Orlando health nurses and patients.
10. 
    Sep 14, '13

    Exclusive: Ed Bruno on next steps to form union at Orlando Health
    
    Orlando Business Journal reached out to Ed Bruno, Southern regional director at the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United, to see what the next steps are for forming a union and how a union may positively and negatively affect Orlando Health.
    
    What are the next steps for the nurses in forming a union at Orlando Health?
    Since the objective of forming a union is to negotiate a good union contract, the essential step is always to help nurses put together an effective, widely representative organizing committee that is capable of leading the campaign to successfully negotiate the union contract. ...
    ... What benefit would a union be for addressing the nurses’ concerns and complaints?
    Primary of course is once the nurses have a union, the hospital must negotiate with their committees and no longer can make unilateral changes in pay or conditions. For example, the current unilateral pay cuts could not happen. Nurses who have collective bargaining rights always spend much effort on winning contractual guarantees on patient care procedures, safe staffing ratios and other professional practices. This, of course, is in addition to wages and benefit issues. As important also is the question of respect for nurses as patient advocates, and protection from unjust or arbitrary disciplines.
    
    How might a union positively and negatively affect Orlando Health?
    Collective bargaining by hospital nurses leads to two over-all public values — better patient care and higher community standards of living. It also will tend to force hospital management to be better managers of their hospitals and their employees, also a community benefit. ...
    
    http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/b....html?page=all

    Last edit by NRSKarenRN on Sep 15, '13
11. 
    Sep 17, '13

    At Saturday's meeting a nurse stood up and told the story about how she overheard an Orlando Health administrator telling HR employees that the nurses were a bunch of mutts and that they were to stupid to organize. So I guess this is what Orlando Health thinks of its nurses. Very sad, its no wonder that they treat the nurses like dogs.
12. 
    Sep 18, '13

    Quote from Tao2200

    At Saturday's meeting a nurse stood up and told the story about how she overheard an Orlando Health administrator telling HR employees that the nurses were a bunch of mutts and that they were to stupid to organize. So I guess this is what Orlando Health thinks of its nurses. Very sad, its no wonder that they treat the nurses like dogs.

    Hospitals exist because patients need nursing care.
    That is the ONLY reason for someone to be admitted to a hospital.
    
    Administrators and human resources can take weekends off. Our entire administrative and management staff went on a Maui retreat for a week. The nurses and others made sure the finest care was provided.
13. 
    Sep 18, '13

    Here are some of the latest news videos and articles of what's going on with Orlando health. First link includes a video of news coverage. Its more about the CEO's hogwash. Now she is giving merit raises (Merit raises the nurses were denied earlier this year by the way) while still cutting the pay. It makes no sense other then a tatic to try to cool tempers and deter union activity. In the end the nurses are still getting screwed. They really do think the nurses and employees are stupid.
    
    http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/...ial-pay/nZzGr/
    
    http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/m...y.html?ana=fbk

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