Do you have a union? Should nurses strike?

Published

Having a union in my opinion makes the diference between having the right to hold my head up and stand up for my patients and being an abused and overworked doormat. How many of us are in unions? Who has been involved in a nurses strike? What was it for and did you win it? Were your patients better off for it? What has your union done for you?

That's false logic. Unions are increasing the number of staff members with higher pay and better ratios, but that doesn't mean they can completely eliminate the need for travellers altogether. Success isn't all or nothing. Say you have 10 open staff positions being filled by travellers. The union comes, things improve and they are able to find and retain 9 more staff nurses. Now, that still means they'll need one traveller, but I'd call that pretty successful nonetheless.

My old hospital has obviously increased the number of staff. They have expanded the unit, yet use fewer travellers than before (they just eliminated all their day shift travel postions when they've had at least a half dozen travellers on days since I started there). Frankly, I don't really care if someone is staff or traveller because as long as we have enough of both we aren't working short staffed. I don't think the elimination of travellers needs to be a union priority at all. Their focus is on their members. It's hospital management that has the task of decreasing the use of travellers if they feel it's important.

Your two paragraphs contradict each other.

One the one hand you say union increase the number of staff with higher pay and better ratios.

In the next paragraph you say it's hospital managements task to decrease travelers. And the only way to decrease travelers is to get the union to bring in more staff. Isn't it?

What would happen to the union if hospitals were adeqautely staffed?

BTW I never said elimination of travelers is a union priority. I said if unions were living up to there promises of better staffing in hospitals Cali wouldn't need to depend so heavily on travelers.

There is more than one hospital in Cali isn't there?

Why is it that non union states don't have as great a % of travel nurses per capita.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I've never been on strike but have supported fellow nurses on their picket lines.

More nurses are on the line in uniform than were scheduled to work. The management is given cell numbers of "picket captains". The letter informs nursing management that if patient care is at risk striking nurses will come into the hospital and work.

Once a car drove up with a woman in labor. An L&D RN helped the woman while the husband parked the car. She admitted the woman, scrubbed, assisted in the delivery, gave report to her manager, and returned to the line.

Oh yes. The hospital is there for nursing care. That is the reason for a hospital to exist.

My families life is valuable. Nurses care for the sickest people while doctors are elsewhere.

How can an automobile compare with human life? No we don't "want" to be hospitalized. When we must be we NEED A NURSE!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I've never been on strike but have supported fellow nurses on their picket lines.

More nurses are on the line in uniform than were scheduled to work. The management is given cell numbers of "picket captains". The letter informs nursing management that if patient care is at risk striking nurses will come into the hospital and work.

Once a car drove up with a woman in labor. An L&D RN helped the woman while the husband parked the car. She admitted the woman, scrubbed, assisted in the delivery, gave report to her manager, and returned to the line.

Oh yes. The hospital is there for nursing care. That is the reason for a hospital to exist.

My families life is valuable. Nurses care for the sickest people while doctors are elsewhere.

How can an automobile compare with human life? No we don't "want" to be hospitalized. When we must be we NEED A NURSE!

Preferably one INSIDE the hospital . Correct? And the women in those hospital beds who needed encouragement to nurse their newborns weren't as important as a woman in labor. With the TV cameras rolling I'm sure. But just for union effect correct? :uhoh3:

I am not comparing automobiles with human lives. I am saying unions are in it for the money . Stop paying your union boss and see how long he/she stays around. Or the shop steward. Do they still get paid when the nurse takes the hit in the pocketbook.

Oh wait they get as much as the CEO you are fighting against. I bet they can handle a few days/weeks of a strike.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Why is it that non union states don't have as great a % of travel nurses per capita.

I have been told by travelers that they will only work where the staffing is safe. They work for less pay here rather than in states where they are responsible for too many patients, don't get a break, and stay late to chart.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Why is it that non union states don't have as great a % of travel nurses per capita.

Probably because they can just saddle their own nurses with higher patient ratios so they don't bother to recruit travel nurses. A lot of my NICU travel friends have worked in hospitals in Arizona and Nevada and they have no plans on returning because they had to take so many more patients (4-5 feeder growers instead of the 2-3 they take here).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I have been told by travelers that they will only work where the staffing is safe. They work for less pay here rather than in states where they are responsible for too many patients, don't get a break, and stay late to chart.

So if the staffing meets Cali and union regs why do they need a traveler. And why can't anyone answer that question.

LESS PAY.. When was the last time you worked in TX, LA, TN, SC,

Most of those nurses are making in the 20's. Most of Cali gets in the mid to upper 30's for travelers. And I don't know of any other state that gives OT after 8 hours and DT after 12. And the tax incentives boost the travelers income.

I've heard many a traveler say the hospitals aren't safe in Cali. Kaiser comes to mind off hand. And that they don't get breaks, and they do stay late to chart.

Cali has gotten rid of most of it's ancillary help. Many RN's are working harder for the fewer patients they have. They have no aids, CNA's techs etc.

You may tout the union just be upfront and honest about what it has and hasn't done. That's all we ask. Tell it all or don't tell any of it.

You are correct the union is not the end all of nursing but many here would like all of us to believe that. Problem is we don't.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Your two paragraphs contradict each other.

One the one hand you say union increase the number of staff with higher pay and better ratios.

In the next paragraph you say it's hospital managements task to decrease travelers. And the only way to decrease travelers is to get the union to bring in more staff. Isn't it?

.

Those two notions aren't contradictory because I never said unions were the only way to increase staff.

The union isn't responsible for hiring new staff. Higher pay and better ratios do draw more staff. That's a no brainer. When a union contract accomplishes that nurses will be drawn to that hospital, however management can do that all on their own if they want. Management can also do a lot of things to increase retention that have nothing to do with the union. And yes, managers can decrease the use of travellers IF they feel that's a priority for their unit. Travellers have nothing to do with the union. The union cares about its members. If a hospital needs travellers to be able to maintain the ratios the union has negotiated for its members, why would the union want to interfere with that?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Also, 1940nurse I think you may be under a false impression about California. The majority of nurses here are not unionized.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Probably because they can just saddle their own nurses with higher patient ratios so they don't bother to recruit travel nurses. A lot of my NICU travel friends have worked in hospitals in Arizona and Nevada and they have no plans on returning because they had to take so many more patients (4-5 feeder growers instead of the 2-3 they take here).

I worked in Nevada and the ratios were fine there. But both of those states are low paying. I bet when it comes right down to it.... again it was $$$$$

They work in Cali for the money and the sunshine. At least the sunshine is paid for out there as opposed to the other state that advertises it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I worked in Nevada and the ratios were fine there. But both of those states are low paying. I bet when it comes right down to it.... again it was $$$$$

They work in Cali for the money and the sunshine. At least the sunshine is paid for out there as opposed to the other state that advertises it.

Trust me, a lot of people here would love to live in Vegas. One of my friends LOVES it there. The pay is lower, but so is the cost of living (they don't have state income tax in Nevada do they?). It was the thought of looking after so many babies again that keeps her living out here and just going to Vegas on vacation 5 or 6 times a year. One hospital in particular has a really bad reputation among travellers I've spoken to and I don't care what they're paying, I won't be working there. You just can't provide 5 poor feeders with good care. NICU travel is a small community, especially out here. It's like 6 degrees of separation. :lol2: That means it's often pretty easy to get the inside scoop on different hospitals.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Do I have a union? No, and wish I did.

Should nurses strike? Yes, if necessary. Sometimes it is the only language understood by administration.

I once worked in a unionized hospital and it was fantastic. We had security, and they came to bat for us every time the hospital admin. came up with some looney idea. IMHO, we only lose out by not having a union.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Trust me, a lot of people here would love to live in Vegas. One of my friends LOVES it there. The pay is lower, but so is the cost of living (they don't have state income tax in Nevada do they?). It was the thought of looking after so many babies again that keeps her living out here and just going to Vegas on vacation 5 or 6 times a year. One hospital in particular has a really bad reputation among travellers I've spoken to and I don't care what they're paying, I won't be working there. You just can't provide 5 poor feeders with good care. NICU travel is a small community, especially out here. It's like 6 degrees of separation. :lol2: That means it's often pretty easy to get the inside scoop on different hospitals.

Nevada doesn't have state income taxes that's true. And as a traveler you would get back most of the taxes you pay to Cali as long as you don't stay there too long and become a Cali resident.

Actually, Maine has higher income taxes than Cali. $1200/wk in Maine $86. for state income tax. 1200/wk in Cali $66 for state income tax. And Cali has that nice Disablilty insurance they take out too. You can check www.paycheckcity.com for the particulars.

And she's living in Cali not a traveler. Let's compare oranges to oranges and apples to apples.

Must be nice to make enough in Cali to afford to live there, pay their high taxes, and go to Vegas 5-6 times a year. She must be racking in the $$$$.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion