Anyone gone union?

Published

The nurses at the hospital I work at have been tossing the idea of bringing in a nursing union. We have been treated lke dirt for a while now and have tried to resolve major issues with the hospital president who has been making promises for the last year but avoids us like the plague when we try to get him to meet with us. So what I want to know is if there are any union nurses out there and how they feel being unionized has worked?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.

most of my jobs have been unionized .i believe in unions.i think its a good thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have always worked at a unionized facility. I won't work where there is no union. I have personal experience with union protection.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Having been a union member and since discontinued my membership in disgust, I can do without them. In my experience, unions are good for workers, bad for organizations. Our union blocks all attempts to change the status quo. They will claim it is a "change in working conditions" and therefore bad. They also protect bad employees no matter what and nearly takes an act of congress to get rid of them.

I also could not take the political garbage around election time. Don't tell me how to vote, that I can do myself.

Others I am sure will have more positive experiences, but for me, never again.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SRNA.

My experience is that if nurses are thinking about unionizing, it's because they need to. If the hospital didn't want a union, they wouldn't give nurses are reason to get one. If you're going to work as a staff RN - you're way better off in a union shop.

-S

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, ER, OR.

I have worked in union, and non union. We need unions. I wont work non union again, thats for sure. Now, about starting a union from the ground up, that I know nothing about...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Our hospital unionized some years back and things did definately improve for the nurses and techs afterward. By that, I mean, pay was increased (substantially!) to become more competitive with local area hospitals, mandatory OT taken away (a big win) and other things.

I personally think unions can be a double-edged sword. Some believe they perpetuate and even encourage sub-par performance, and there persists a false belief that "you can't fire a union nurse". (it's true you can't, if you don't have excellent documentation, but that is only fair). They (unions) don't really encourage individual performance excellence in many cases, as pay is usually determined by seniority, not merit. Also, they make it hard for a given single nurse who has the skill, to bargain for his or her own compensation and benefits in a particular position or hospital.

Once a shop is "closed" you MUST be a member or you cannot be employed there. There are some hospitals where some nurses are unionized, others not, but these are not as common. Most go "closed".

Having a union rep can be a darn handy thing if you are being unfairly-dealt with as an employee----but again, some people are already very good at self-advocacy and see this as unnecessary, or even an insult.

Yes, there are plusses and minuses, like anything else. Lots of varying perspectives.

I will say this: it strongly depends on WHICH union you ally with, as to how much and how well they will serve you, the employee member. Some are better than others. Some are non-nursing, others nursing unions. It would behoove you all to do your homework before "going union".

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Personally I love unions, Unions go on strike and I fly out for a few weeks and get strike busting pay. So I really do love unions.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Personally I love unions, Unions go on strike and I fly out for a few weeks and get strike busting pay. So I really do love unions.

I like wars, they bring more casualties, so I have job security. So who to bomb next?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
I like wars, they bring more casualties, so I have job security. So who to bomb next?

I dont know, maybe Mexico or Canada

Up Vote Up Vote ×

:rotfl:

Personally I love unions, Unions go on strike and I fly out for a few weeks and get strike busting pay. So I really do love unions.

:yeahthat: :lol_hitti but of course us strike busters are there for the patient care, just like the folks that are on strike...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
:rotfl:

:yeahthat: :lol_hitti but of course us strike busters are there for the patient care, just like the folks that are on strike...

Always remember that the patients are inside the hospital.

Bringing in a union just means you have failed and now have to resort to a war.

I'll get you started: Step # 1. Take the president's wife out to lunch.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion