Cook Co. Healthcare Workers File to Join with RNs in NNOC

Julia RN · Sep 22, 2008

So this I don't get...

Being curious, I looked up CHEU. It doesn't look like an "affiliate". Rather, it looks like it is CNA- same address, all money goes to CNA for representation, no staff of its own, etc. (go to www.cheu.org and you land at CNA)

So what gives? Does CNA really represent other healthcare workers besides RNs?

allnurses Guide · Sep 22, 2008

yes. the caregivers union is an affiliate.

i think it is small compared to the 85 thousand rns represented by cna. there are a few hospitals in the los angeles, san diego, central, and northern california where our colleagues are in the cheu union.

they have a separate bargaining team and contract. i believe the benefits are the same as the rns at their hospital. they have their own labor representatives. the rns have a different representative.

it is good for our colleagues, especially lvns, cnas, monitor techs, and unit secretaries to be together for our patients. respiratory and others too.

i met an lvn who is a leader at her hospital.

http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2006/june/page.jsp?itemid=27894938&print=t

http://www.allbusiness.com/health-care/health-care-facilities-hospitals/6188858-1.html

lily2008 · Sep 23, 2008

yes. the caregivers union is an affiliate.
i think it is small compared to the 85 thousand rns represented by cna. there are a few hospitals in the los angeles, san diego, central, and northern california where our colleagues are in the cheu union.
they have a separate bargaining team and contract. i believe the benefits are the same as the rns at their hospital. they have their own labor representatives. the rns have a different representative.
it is good for our colleagues, especially lvns, cnas, monitor techs, and unit secretaries to be together for our patients. respiratory and others too.
i met an lvn who is a leader at her hospital.
http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2006/june/page.jsp?itemid=27894938&print=t
http://www.allbusiness.com/health-care/health-care-facilities-hospitals/6188858-1.html

i think the bold above is very interesting. seems like they're going to have a choice in which union to organize under as the rns filed to join seiu in the past day or so.

can you answer this question for me? if the cna-nnoc feels that having the entire hospital organized helps patients why not do it under one union? can you not have seperate articles in the contract address the different issues that pertain to rns v. ancillary?

Julia RN · Sep 23, 2008

yes. the caregivers union is an affiliate.
i think it is small compared to the 85 thousand rns represented by cna. there are a few hospitals in the los angeles, san diego, central, and northern california where our colleagues are in the cheu union.
they have a separate bargaining team and contract. i believe the benefits are the same as the rns at their hospital. they have their own labor representatives. the rns have a different representative.
it is good for our colleagues, especially lvns, cnas, monitor techs, and unit secretaries to be together for our patients. respiratory and others too.
i met an lvn who is a leader at her hospital.
http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2006/june/page.jsp?itemid=27894938&print=t
http://www.allbusiness.com/health-care/health-care-facilities-hospitals/6188858-1.html

cheu looks to have about 2500 members- a lot less than the rn membership of cna.

sorry- but at least for now, it looks like a different union only on paper- a division of cna created to represent workers other than rns. different staff might be assigned to the "healthcare workers", but they are employed by cna. cheu lists no employees, only unpaid officers and shows no assets of its own.

wonder who retains the power to hire or fire the staff that services these members- cna or the officers of cheu?

setting it up this way enables cna to negotiate with the employer separately for each group....interesting

lily2008 · Sep 23, 2008

CHEU looks to have about 2500 members- a lot less than the RN membership of CNA.
Sorry- but at least for now, it looks like a different union only on paper- a division of CNA created to represent workers other than RNs. Different staff might be assigned to the "healthcare workers", but they are employed by CNA. CHEU lists no employees, only unpaid officers and shows no assets of its own.
Wonder who retains the power to hire or fire the staff that services these members- CNA or the officers of CHEU?
Setting it up this way enables CNA to negotiate with the employer separately for each group....interesting

I was wondering the same thing and the only conclusion I can come up with is, and I may be way off, that they HAVE to split it up because one of the CNA's main messages is that they're a union of nurses, by nurses, for nurses. Adding other healthcare workers goes directly against that message so they need to split them up, even if only by name, to retain that mentality.

Then again, I may be way off base there.

allnurses Guide · Sep 23, 2008

I am no expert on this.

Just tried to answer a question.

Julia RN · Sep 23, 2008

I was wondering the same thing and the only conclusion I can come up with is, and I may be way off, that they HAVE to split it up because one of the CNA's main messages is that they're a union of nurses, by nurses, for nurses. Adding other healthcare workers goes directly against that message so they need to split them up, even if only by name, to retain that mentality.
Then again, I may be way off base there.

I think it's more than that- each way of negotiating has its advantages.