Another Texas Hospital Goes Union

RN1980 · Sep 18, 2010

well, here is one southern conservative who is stongly in favor for union representation for nurses. me thinks picupnp is a pinkerton agent of old.

CSTCFA · Mar 4, 2011

Well I work in the hospital across the street from Rio Grande Regional. I have to say im not surprised they went union. We share a lot of the same doctors and staff. Let me tell you, a lot of people here are tired of the way doctors are treating nurses and other staff. Now with Doctors Hospital at Rennaisance in full operation, management are cutting hours and just plain bullying staff. We went from working 80 in two week to 72 and now want us to come in at 645 instead of 630. Mandatory late stay, mandatory overtime, no uniform allowance, no hospital laundered scrubs for staff not even surgery. I wish the union would come across the street to us!!!

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Jul 12, 2012

The RNs voted last night to de-certify the NNOC/CNA at Rio Grande Regional Hospital. It's been over 2 years since the original certification.

As an employee of RGRH, I'd like to address what I think went wrong.

1. The organizers for NNOC were very enthusiastic about the union. Too much so for a whole lot of my coworkers. Almost every night, one or more organizers would be posted in each of the breakrooms on the units, and it became very uncomfortable for a lot of people. I heard, many times, people lamenting the hard sell they received "every time I go on break". Over the last week, my coworkers had several discussions about going as a group, to management, to seek their removal from the lounge.

2. I and many others were tired of having to "run the gauntlet" just to get in the entry door to go to work. In their great desire to pass out papers/signs/pens/lanyards/etc., we often had to pass through 3-6 very motivated organizers along the sidewalk. I must say, they became very vehement in their protest when a nurse would exhibit non-interest in what they were selling. One particular lady chewed me out right properly when I told her was running late and didn't have time for her spiel.

3. The union held a number of "protest" pickets in front of the hospital. Many of us felt that this was bad for our place of employment, as well as for the reputation of our staff, when they were plastered on the front page of the local paper or on the local newscast.

4. One common tactic employed by NNOC was to provide information sessions with the lure of free food for RNs. Many people partook of these sessions (they had to know the nurses were more coming for the bbq than for the info...). Quite a few times, people that showed up to eat had their picture taken. Imagine their surprise when they showed up as the star of a fancy, hi-gloss, full color poster or Info Magazine cover. This happened just this last week to two of my coworkers...and they were not pleased to find themselves used as propaganda. This is not to mention the "cards" the nurses were asked to sign, with the assurance that it was NOT a membership card...

Anyway, just my viewpoint from the sidelines. I was open to learn about the union, but entered the process as a typical southern conservative with admitted preconceptions. I did not enjoy this process, and feel that our workplace is worse off because of it.

CaptKris · Aug 4, 2012

Do you feel that the hospital was better off with the union? Short of the whole "rah rah" promotion aspect, did they actually improve working conditions at all? Were better managers hired and the staff better trained? Were patient ratios better or the same? Do you feel you received good value for your union dues?

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Aug 4, 2012

Nothing changed policy-wise for the entire 2 year process, as there was no contract in place. The only thing that changed was a worsening relationship between mgmt and staff.