Can a new grad negotiate union pay?

[Toots71506]

I'm currently in a 2nd degree BSN program and I was told last night by a classmate that we can demand more pay since we have work experience. I don't believe this and wanted to post here to find out the truth. I can't imagine that my 15 years of IT experience gives me the ability to negotiate to get $10 more an hour as a new RN. Does it work this way? The way I understand it is that if you are a nurse for a year in a union then you get x amount, 5 years gets x amount, etc. Thanks in advance for your responses.

[itsmejuli]

When I got hired on at my union job I had to present a letter from my previous employer detailing the number of hours I'd worked as a nurse.

[FLArn]

I don't work in a union shop, but my father was a union rep for many years and I believe that you are correct. The union negotiates the terms of the contract and the members are locked into those terms. Previous nursing experience may be factored in but unless you are working in nurse informatics (sp) I doubt IT experience would matter.

[llg, PhD, RN]

There are exceptions to almost everything. So, I won't say it has never been done. However, it is not usual for a new grad to get anything other than the "new grad pay rate." They may give some credit for experience as an LPN or some other highly related work, but I've never heard of people getting credit for work that was not directly related.

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

You can try to negotiate your salary up whether you have experience or not, but I highly doubt you'll get anything close to $10/hr more. You can't demand more money (well, I suppose you could, but I don't recommend it) but you can request it. Just be prepared for them to say no. And be careful. With the number of new grads out there, the company knows they can find someone willing to work for the base salary and you don't want to lose your offer over a few dollars per hour.

And most hospitals don't even consider former LPN's or CNA's to be experience when it comes to RN jobs, so you're right that your IT experience is probably inconsequential.

[MJB2010]

I worked at a nonunion place (it was not a nice place to work) and they hired new grads anywhere from 18-22. I negotiated to 24. We all got 10+ patients on a med surg floor. Felt bad for those who got the short end of the stick, so it works both ways.

In a union position there would be a set formula to determine how much you would earn. But the benefits of the union would far outweigh a couple of bucks an hour in my opinion.

[heron, ASN, RN]

Read your union contract and talk to your union steward. Is it a closed or open shop?

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Usually union salaries are not negotiated except at the bargining table. It has been my experience that NURSING experience is what is counted and while you can "negotiate/argue" the amount of nursing experience you have to get ot the next "step/level" the rate of that level is fixed.

[TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN]

In this job market I would like to see anybody try to demand anything let alone a new grad regardless of how many other degrees they might hold or how much other experience they have. Only one thing counts in this market place and that's how much experience you have as a nurse, not a volunteer, not a CNA, not a secretary on a unit, but a NURSE. But hey, tell your buddy at school good luck with that!

[mazy]

My experience working in a union shop and coming from a long line of union rabble rousers is that the union negotiates the pay that the facility gives you. You are not paid by the union. So the issue isn't what the union is paying you, it is what the employer is paying you. You are not an employee of the union, you are a member, and the union works for you.

Anyway, in relation to the issue of negotiating your salary with your employer, it is a very very competitive market in nursing these days. There are hundreds of applicants for each and every job, many with years and years of nursing experience, so you will have very little say over the pay you get.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

In this job market I would like to see anybody try to demand anything let alone a new grad regardless of how many other degrees they might hold or how much other experience they have. Only one thing counts in this market place and that's how much experience you have as a nurse, not a volunteer, not a CNA, not a secretary on a unit, but a NURSE. But hey, tell your buddy at school good luck with that!

My thoughts exactly....... I think they need to teach a course in nursing school about the current state of the employment market for new grads and eralistic expectations.

[Telelizard]

I have an ADN with a BA in another field. Just got hired as a new grad & I got the ADN new grad pay....BSN pay was $1 more per/hr. It didn't seem like there was any room for negotiation & I was so happy to even get a job in this tough market that I accepted with a huge smile :)