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.

Wait! Plentiful??? Where??????

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Specializes in geriatrics.
Wait! Plentiful??? Where??????

Nurses are plentiful as in there are more applicants than jobs. There is no nursing shortage. As a result, we are all replaceable and the majority of employers aren't concerned whether their employees are content. It's an employer's market.

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I started working at my current job 14 yrs ago when the demand for nurses was extremely high. Most of the nurses from my group left within 6months and went somewhere that was offering a big bonus. The few of us that stayed are now senior nurses and yes, we get our vacation before junior nurses and I think we deserve it. Every RN in my facility is entitled to 2 vacations a yr and sometimes we even get more depending on staffing. Sometimes the junior nurses don't get the vac at the time they want (summer) so they complain. I Love working in a unionized facility. Do you know what those blood suckers aka management would do without a union. Union recently brought back a nurse after a yr of being fired for no fault of hers, She got paid for the whole yr she was out. I work on a heavy ortho surgery unit and our ratio according to contract is 1:5 for days, 1:6 for pm shift. Management did everything to change it to 1:8 and 1:9 but did not succeed. Any time they try, we call the union and we go back to original contract. Recently we got our contract signed after 3.5 yrs and all of us RNs took home huge some of $s.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I would be willing to work with others and negotiate with others.

That is exactly what our union does. Its a group of people who have voluntarily gotten together to work with and negotiate with each other, management and others.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
That is one of the few things that union did that I agree with. They got rid of the pension and the employer contributes a flat 4.5% of my salary into my 401(k). So I can manage it as I see fit.

We have both, pension and 403-B with generous matching, up to 8% if I put in enough.

Since my hospital is publically owned our pay and benefits are public knowledge. In 2010 the union held a one day strike that was widely covered in local news. They were striking for safe staffing levels. Support from the community was overwhelming. Probably because nurses were not striking for more pay or benefits, but to keep their patients safe and deliver great care. Management folded in the face of such strong support from the community.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Hmm, the patient advocates for themselves, and nurses advocates for patients.. NO UNIONS involved. Just speak up, and advocate. It's not the late 18th and early 19th century when unions not only had a time and place, but actually worked for their workers. Now, it is hit or miss as to whether you pay dues to a union that actually does work for the members, or is just a political faction working for itself. Since it is hit or miss, preferably I would like to advocate for myself and have others take (gee whiz) personal responsibility to advocate for themselves.

Unrealistic. There is much more power when a group of nurses negotiate with management than when one nurse negotiates alone. After all management isn't negotiating alone, but rather as a representative of a huge business with vast resources, relative to a lone RN.

My union doesn't have anyone who doesn't also work as a nurse. Even the president of our union works 12 hour shifts on the floor every weekend.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Nurses are plentiful as in there are more applicants than jobs. There is no nursing shortage. As a result, we are all replaceable and the majority of employers aren't concerned whether their employees are content. It's an employer's market.

How can this not be obvious? All we have to do is look at how nurse compensation has backslid since 2008 after years of steady improvement.

The glut of nurses was long planned and intentionally done using the false "nursing shortage!" propaganda. Worse it was done using our own tax money extorted from state and federal governments.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Depending on your work culture, you can advocate for your rights all you want. Without the protection of a union, your concerns will either be dismissed and/ or you may face termination.

That's the reality without a union, especially in the current climate where nurses are plentiful.

For me the last straw on working in a non union hospital was being ordered to lie to Magnet surveyors on threat of termination.

I decided that I simply wasn't going to do it, even if it cost me my job. I just lucked out and didn't get asked anything by surveyors that week.

I am willing to risk my job based on my performance and behavior, but being threated with being fired for NOT lying? That was too much for me.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

This should be obvious, but some people are still convinced that there is a nursing shortage. I find the "nursing shortage" myth is alive and well with new grads because they've been intentionally deceived.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, Med-Surg/Tele, LTC.
This should be obvious, but some people are still convinced that there is a nursing shortage. I find the "nursing shortage" myth is alive and well with new grads because they've been intentionally deceived.

The nursing shortage myth is indeed alive and well. The media continues to propagate it. I just read an Atlantic article released this month about the "nursing shortage." Nurses propagate this myth as well. I can't tell you the number of nursing hopefuls I've spoken to that insist there is a nursing shortage because a nurse told them how short-staffed they are and that their hospital hires new grads all the time. Just because whoever they got their info from sees new grads being hired, they don't see the number of applications that were received for those few new grad spots.

End of thread hijack.

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Not sure how you guys can say there isn't a shortage when data indicates there will be an excessive shortage in a number of years. Not to mention major facilities out there have hundreds of open positions.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Not sure how you guys can say there isn't a shortage when data indicates there will be an excessive shortage in a number of years. Not to mention major facilities out there have hundreds of open positions.

Many positions are posted with no intention to fill, or internal only.

Actually the most recent data shows there will be a surplus of nurses

Nationally, the change in RN supply between 2012 and 2025 is projected to outpace demand.

Supply outpace demand = NOT A SHORTAGE

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/supplydemand/nursing/workforceprojections/nursingprojections.pdf

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