Another reason unions suck!

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Trying to get a vacation as a new RN under a union regime is challenging at best. It's all seniority based. So the senior RNs can basically come and go as they choose. But that means the rest of us cannot be off (even though we don't cover each other or know each other's job). Also the silly union made a rule that managers cannot approve vacations to far out. So if someone knows they want a certain week 2 years from now, they cannot secure it and start booking flights or whatever. It's irritating at best.

no such thing as non-union facilities up here.

I will tell you guys what. The minute the unions do something that benefits me I will change my tune admit that they do do good. But until that point I don't foresee my opinion changing.

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I'm not a huge lover of unions, butI work in two unionized hospital, and both handle vacations fairly.

I previously worked in a unionized hospital where the union's sole purpose seemed to be to unfairly favor senior staff, so I totally understand these frustrations.

All 3 represented by the same union. It depends on the culture of each facility, not necessarily the union per se.

That is true. Some blame does lay on the shoulders of the nurses ratified the contract.

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Unions had their place and purpose, 40 years ago. Now they just waste time and money and cause problems.

Plan your vacation.

If time rolls around and they refuse you your days off, go anyway.

We don't live to work, we work to live❤️

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Unions had their place and purpose, 40 years ago. Now they just waste time and money and cause problems.

Plan your vacation.

If time rolls around and they refuse you your days off, go anyway.

We don't live to work, we work to live❤️

That is about the most beautiful thing I've read in a long time.

That's basically what I told my manager. "I've booked the trip, organized with my wife's schedule and made the deposit. I purposely picked a week where there won't be others asking for holiday time off. I have every intention of going. You have 18 months notice"

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

All I have to do is look at my paycheck to thank my local union.

In "right to work" states I am paid 30% less, have no right to grieve and still have to wait my turn for vacation.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
I will tell you guys what. The minute the unions do something that benefits me I will change my tune admit that they do do good. But until that point I don't foresee my opinion changing.
Repeat this to me when you get to the top of the seniority totem pole when you get first dibs on vaca time. Or when you need to challenge some issue re promotions or transfers. Or some disciplinary action (as another PP posted).

Unions do have a place. Question - do you receive a yearly increment? Many non-union facility nurses haven't received any in a looong time. How about a uniform allowance? I bet nobody screws up your payroll overtime/holiday time. A meal discount?

I'm usually not very pro-union, but as I said, they do have a place.

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Have people not read the situations on this board and thought "where is your union?" I can't believe some of the stuff nurses are putting up with and I am so grateful I have a union. No, they're not perfect, and I don't like paying money for union dues when non-union workers get the same benefits. However, during contract negotiation we would have been thrown under the bus from administration if we hadn't had a union.

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Thank you Rnkaytee! We have a nurses union and I love all the benefits we have won over the years through our union. In our facility there are general union guidelines on sheduling and vacation time but each unit gets to decide more specifically how they handle them. Most of our units go on a first come first served basis for vacations.

Seniority is considered if too many people are requesting the same time slot but we have an unofficial calendar in our break room that everyone pens in their vacation requests onto. People can look at the calendar and know which time slots not to bother with, or they can negotiate with colleagues to switch before entering official requests.

We work together, even as union nurses (gaaasp!) Maybe the OP can try that.

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I'm Canadian, so I'm union. The vast, vast majority of nurses in Canada are unionized, and let me tell you, thank goodness. I have excellent benefits, great wages that increase on a predictable schedule, guaranteed vacation/sick/personal time, a reasonable workload and the resources I need to provide patient care safely. Not to mention a clear and specific way to address problems in my workplace. I don't know any nurses up here that are anti-union, and I do know many.

We do our vacation planning for the upcoming year in the previous fall (so for 2016 we did it in October/November). There are several "passes," so at first everybody picks one block (of however long you want, can be your whole allotment at once or it can be just a bit but it has to be just one block) and it goes by seniority when it comes to what gets approved and what doesn't. When I'm selecting my vacation it's in a book and I can see what my coworkers have selected so I can pick something that doesn't overlap with what my more senior coworkers have chosen. Once those blocks are approved, we go around for another pass and then a final one. I think it makes a lot of sense. If I have remaining vacation time I can request it during the year just like any other kind of leave. Makes sense to me.

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We do our vacation planning for the upcoming year in the previous fall (so for 2016 we did it in October/November). There are several "passes," so at first everybody picks one block (of however long you want, can be your whole allotment at once or it can be just a bit but it has to be just one block) and it goes by seniority when it comes to what gets approved and what doesn't. When I'm selecting my vacation it's in a book and I can see what my coworkers have selected so I can pick something that doesn't overlap with what my more senior coworkers have chosen. Once those blocks are approved, we go around for another pass and then a final one. I think it makes a lot of sense. If I have remaining vacation time I can request it during the year just like any other kind of leave. Makes sense to me.

See, now that makes sense. I'd love to work outs that way.

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Specializes in TCU, Dementia care, nurse manager.

It would be nice if we - not just the people in this discussion - would work together and get most of what they want but not everything, since that is not realistic without stomping (preferred a different word but it was not polite or proper) on somebody. Like the place Annabanana2 described.

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Specializes in ED, Telemetry,Hospice, ICU, Supervisor.

I do no think unions are necessary. I believe RNs can sit down with their managers and come to an amicable solution. As a profession, communication, negotiation and collaboration is key. I believe unions create very strict rules that prevent the creation of creative problem solving and restrict the maneuvering room required to solve these types of workplace issues.

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