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.

Ruger8mm let me give you a little clue. If you can't get a vacation when you want it, it's not the fault of your union. Look elsewhere. Your labor reps aren't making the decisions of who can take a vacation and when.

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Specializes in Womens health, labor and delivery.

Its odd to me how many RN's complain about their situation, and then come to our UNION hospital, leaving their homes and families behind, so they can make the wage that UNION RN's have fought for. Makes no sense.... Kudos to you Decade1 for speaking the truth..

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As an Australian Nurse, we don't seem to have that trouble here. We don't use a seniority system for annual leave. When you have accrued enough hours for annual leave, you can apply to take your leave. Its a fair and equitable process. If too many staff want to take leave at the same time, the Nurse Unit manager will negotiate with you and others. The NUM's run the ward by the health service policies. However, if it were not for the unions we wouldn't have the leave arrangements we have and negotiating with employers on your own is not always safe or likely to get you better conditions.

I have been very grateful for having my union as they have helped me out on some industrial relations matters. Their assistance was invaluable.

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

Wow, kalvera! Where do you work?! Multiple hospitals have joined our union recently because they thought they could work things out amicably and professionally with management. Broken promises, continued unsafe staffing, no cost of living raises etc. Unions are still important. And they are about the power of WE!

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I appreciate your trying to "see both sides" of this argument. (union vs non-union) Keep trying to forward the action with ongoing conversation. People who go off into uninformed rants not based on facts or principles only creates division and wasted strife (Ruger8mm ??) are very often RIGID in their opinions and unable to listen or actually reply, they only know what they think they know.

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Specializes in LTC, Rural, OB.

I love my union. I far prefer this union facility I'm at now over the nonunion pos place I used to work at. Better pay, better and guaranteed raises, better premium shift pay. No mandatory low census. My old place lowered your hourly wage for each benefit taken...non union place. Nurses that had been there 30 years were barely making more than I was as a new grad. Vacations aren't done by seniority. I just started and was able to get the week of Christmas off. Sorry but there seems to be good benefits being under a union.

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You guys are still going. Haha, that's great.

I know I feel this way for a number of good reasons.

Two of the many are listed below.

I can tell you guys that I was non-union as an advanced clinical sonographer and echocardiographer. I had all the same benefits I get now (no different). Fairer vacation sign up. WAY BETTER PAY. Boy look at those unions go, pffffttt.

The union that just HAD to strike at one of my family's facilities ended up settling the contract for LESS than the hospital offered to begin with all because they tried to play hardball and got their butt handed to them. But look how great that union did for those nurses.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Oh no question. We should totally pay/reward poor people to breed more poor people.

Yes, that seems to be what conservatives and Republicans wish to do, as evidenced by our foreign "aid" priorities. None more than the most recent Bush to be president.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
The ONLY guarantee one has when being in a union is a smaller paycheck due to union dues.

Paying union dues is a choice people make. I choose to pay the $12 per pay check and feel I get great value for my money. Union hospitals are a minority in this country, and many of those union hospitals (like mine) are voluntary for dues payment, so nobody has to pay them.

What in life IS guaranteed, other than we are all going to die?

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Specializes in Med/Surg crit care, coronary care, PACU,.

And how does a political harpoon like this help this topic? Disgusting attack.

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Specializes in ICU.
And how does a political harpoon like this help this topic? Disgusting attack.

I agree that memes, parodies and personal attacks add nothing to a discussion about Unions. Which political harpoon are you referring to?

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Specializes in Med/Surg crit care, coronary care, PACU,.

PMFB-RN quoted ruger8mm, then added a political attack. IMHO it was rather misplaced in this discussion.

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