Can unionized nurses be on a diff salary schedule than teachers?

[clockwood]

Question:

I want to know if our teacher/nurse union can create a separate salary schedule for nurses. Nurses are sorely under-compensated in our district (okay, the teachers are too!) Does anybody work in a district where nurses are in the teachers' union but also are on a higher salary schedule? Thanks! I would like to bring this idea to the bargaining table...

Claire

[caliotter3]

Nurses and teachers are like apples and oranges. See no reason why the nurses could not have their own salary schedule.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think they can negotiate any pay schedule they want. However, I doubt the teachers would support the idea of nurses being paid more than they are -- particularly if the teachers are required to have a BS and are urged (in some cases required) to get Master's Degrees in order to improve their salaries. Are your nurses all Master's-prepared?

In the world of education, education is valued. So unless the nurses are better-educated that the teachers are (and have higher educational requirements than the teachers have to meet), I doubt that a union that is comprised mostly of teachers would support paying nurses more than themselves.

Just my guess based on having teachers and school administrators in my family.

[peacockblue]

In my district the certified nurses are on the same salary as the teachers. We have 2 certified nurses. We also have 4 RN's, two of whom have BSN's that are considered aides and make significantly less than the teachers. Education is not the place to look for high salary. Still the best job I ever had.

[clockwood]

Thanks for your input! In California, school nurses have to have a "school nurse service credential." (on top of a bachelor's and RN). The program I did was all grad work and allows students to roll the credential into a master's degree (MSN) by taking just 7-8 extra units. The reason I am asking I guess is because nurses in our district do a lot of the work that administrators do, but get paid on the teacher salary schedule.

[clockwood]

Also, most teachers with whom I discuss salary are shocked when I tell them that nurses are paid on the teacher salary schedule They have no idea.

[peacockblue]

Also, most teachers with whom I discuss salary are shocked when I tell them that nurses are paid on the teacher salary schedule They have no idea.

Our teachers all know this because I am part of their union. I guess it differs state by state.

[100kids, BSN, RN]

In my district I am on the same salary schedule as the teachers. In the district my children attend the School nurses they are on the same contract as the teachers BUT the Nurses have a lower salary schedule.