Do you have a union? Should nurses strike?

Nurses General Nursing

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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?

My friend is actually a real traveller, not like me (I'm a Cali resident now). She's a resident of Texas. I do make a good living out here and am glad for it, but it actually isn't hard to afford trips to Vegas. It's one of the many things I love about living in Southern California. You can drive to Vegas which costs about $40 for the gas and last time we shared a room at NYNY for about $100 a night. So, for a weekend it costs about $200 plus your spending money. Expedia and travelocity always have those last minute weekend deals too. I went to SF last summer for 4 days and it only cost me about $250 for flight and hotel. Spent a weekend in San Diego in January and got a great deal on a hotel too. We're so close to so much neat stuff! IMO Maine can't compare unfortunately.

The money I'm raking in actually goes to pay for my trips to Canada and to support my nasty shopping addiction:)

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Actually, Maine has higher income taxes than Cali. And I can make $22 there with 4 patients on a busy med/surg floor and no union. Saves me what ?? $50 a month.

And I can go to Cali and make $35 which do you suppose I'd take?

I completely understand that and feel the same way. All I'm trying to point out is that even if a bad hospital was offering $45 an hour, I'd rather stay making $35 and have a reasonable load. It's the same reason I don't do strike nursing. You can make a ton of money, but after a certain point money isn't enough anymore. I also care about the environment I'll be working in.

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Oh sure they will cut nursing assistants if the staff is not united. Just at my hospital one med/surg unit has a CNA for every ten patients, RNs often only get three or four patients when acuity is high, and patients in danger of falling get a sitter. The charge nurse has no assignment.

Sometimes instead of an extra RN with high acuity they get an LVN. If the nurses assessment is that patient care is at risk it is documented. Management does not want documentation of unsafe staffing so it is very rare.

Another unit has nurses who don't get along with each other, they complain but that is all. They have one CNA at night to help eight RNs. Each RN always has five patients. The charge nurse will often take patients rather than call in another nurse.

I have floated to both units. All nice people but it takes collective action, even with a union. The union teaches us how but we need to do it.

My manager likes having the rules written into a contract. She then has the support she needs when budget time comes. She insists on making nursing care the "product" of our unit. She will take a patient or two or transport a patient to CT. Once she came in herself to admit a patient on a Saturday night. I think if she hadn't a patient could have died due to failure to rescue.

I know she went to the top with the situation. Now when we report that we need another nurse we get someone.

I credit it to a cohesive group of colleagues, commitment to patient advicacy, education from the union, our contract, a supportive manager, and good luck.

If I can't provide safe effective care I won't be there.

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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.

That was a one day strike in the '90's about a labor/management partnership that as far as I know all other unions have with Kaiser. Nurses have an obligation to their patients even if it means reporting unsafe conditions.

There was no press there. She didn't make a big deal of it. I was just there and observed it.

Our nurse representatives at my hospital don't get paid. I am very glad we have labor professionals to teach us, advise us, and represent us in case of discipline.

Hey. If I lived in beautiful Maine and only had four patients on med/surg with supportive management I probably wouldn't want a union either.

I worked for decades without one.

Then managed care restructuring came with the sale of our hospital. And to most facilities near here.

Sorry, you cannot lay off registered nurses, replace them with unlicensed personnel, outsource housekeeping, lay off pharmacists, and expect nurses to provide the level of care they did with half as many patients. And more admissions, discharges, and transfers. Somehow I am not able to assist with a cardioversion with conscious sedation at the same time I take my other patient to nuclear medicine on a monitor with full ACLS. No one person can.

We nurses saved our hospital and our sanity.

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

In answer to the question why Union hospitals need travelers is simple. Its a supply and demand equation and cost per RN, particularly in California, because of legally mandated ratios. There aren't enough RNs in California to meet the demand for RNs. Therefore there is a need for travelers. Although, since ratios have entered the picture there are more RN liscenced in Calif, it is still not enough to meet demand. Also some hospitals find it cheaper to hire travelers then to maintain all RN positions as staff.

As for Unions increasing RN to patient ratios that is accomplished two ways. The first is through individual Union contracts at individual employer level and secondly through legislative work in passing state wide laws and regulations.

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Oh sure they will cut nursing assistants if the staff is not united. Just at my hospital one med/surg unit has a CNA for every ten patients, RNs often only get three or four patients when acuity is high, and patients in danger of falling get a sitter. The charge nurse has no assignment.

Sometimes instead of an extra RN with high acuity they get an LVN. If the nurses assessment is that patient care is at risk it is documented. Management does not want documentation of unsafe staffing so it is very rare.

Another unit has nurses who don't get along with each other, they complain but that is all. They have one CNA at night to help eight RNs. Each RN always has five patients. The charge nurse will often take patients rather than call in another nurse.

I have floated to both units. All nice people but it takes collective action, even with a union. The union teaches us how but we need to do it.

My manager likes having the rules written into a contract. She then has the support she needs when budget time comes. She insists on making nursing care the "product" of our unit. She will take a patient or two or transport a patient to CT. Once she came in herself to admit a patient on a Saturday night. I think if she hadn't a patient could have died due to failure to rescue.

I know she went to the top with the situation. Now when we report that we need another nurse we get someone.

I credit it to a cohesive group of colleagues, commitment to patient advicacy, education from the union, our contract, a supportive manager, and good luck.

If I can't provide safe effective care I won't be there.

So when you need another nurse one is produced? From thin air?

I don't buy that. Sorry.

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Neither have I.

But union would have us think that they are increasing staff by getting better ratios. If, indeed, that were true then those hospitals wouldn't need travelers would they.

The nursing shortage is many times said to be because of poor staffing ratios and yet the state with the best ratios probably has the largest % of travel nursing positions per capita. I find that interesting.

Many say nurses leave the profession and that we really don't have a shortage of nurses just a shortage of nurses who will work shortstaffed. But what if those nurses came back then they wouldn't have to work short staffed would they.

Many professions lose workers. Many poeple start professions only to find out that the profession they've chosen isn't a good fit for them . Many would have us believe that that concept only happens in nursing. One only needs to read about people coming from other professions into nursing. Losing workers isn't exclusive to nursing.

One thing nursing and hospital workers need to remember is that hospitals don't "make" anything that people want to purchase over and over again. There are limited finanacial resources available to hospitals. Ford started by making cars by hand, probably not making much money initially but then he made more and more cars, the union came in, demanded more money and benefits and now Ford is looking at it's decline. Even though they make something that people purchase again and again there is just so much money and no more.

I am a traveler. I have not been able to get a contract in California. My recruiter says that all the travelers are standing in line to go to Cali, because of the ratios. Obviously, the ratios are attracting nurses.

Honda employees in Marysville Ohio are union. Honda is doing very well. I have worked in the auto industry in Detroit. I was a non-union temp worker. Man, did we get screwed.

I have worked in right-to-work states all of my life. Some jobs paid less than minimum wage. Some had no bathrooms or even water to drink on the premesis. One insisted that we worked overtime for FREE. I worked at a job where dozens of workers contracted a deadly disease called Berylliosis from unsafe working conditions and OSHA violations. Most of these people were fired after they became ill. This would never happen with a union.

You must be in mgmt.

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/currents/Content?oid=oid:42715

http://www.azstarnet.com/beryllium/0509n04.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11370937&dopt=Abstract

Tucson Arizona Beryllium Support Group - Tucson Arizona ; Past and present employees from Brush Wellman, Inc.

Tucson Arizona Beryllium Support Group

11323 N Anway

Marana, Az 85653

E-mail : [email protected]

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In answer to the question why Union hospitals need travelers is simple. Its a supply and demand equation and cost per RN, particularly in California, because of legally mandated ratios. There aren't enough RNs in California to meet the demand for RNs. Therefore there is a need for travelers. Although, since ratios have entered the picture there are more RN liscenced in Calif, it is still not enough to meet demand. Also some hospitals find it cheaper to hire travelers then to maintain all RN positions as staff.

As for Unions increasing RN to patient ratios that is accomplished two ways. The first is through individual Union contracts at individual employer level and secondly through legislative work in passing state wide laws and regulations.

And neither the legislature nor the unions have succeed. IF they had they wouldn't need travelers.

You can mandate out the whazoo but those mandates don't make nurses appear.

Why are unions not pushing for more educators, and compact status in CALI?

Wanna know my take on that? They don't really want more nurses. That would be the death of them. Why have a union if you have adequate staffing. Isn't that every one's position who likes unions. You'd work for the same pay rate if you didn't have to take so many patients. Some here have said they'd work for less to have adequate staffing. Ahd if Cali became a compact state nurses from other states would be able to work there much more freely.

Why don't the unions endorse a national license? Again my take on the is it would dilute their power. It would free up nurses to work when and where they are needed the most and/or where they chose to.

JMHO again.

When nurses are replaced with outside ( foreign),and /or lessor trained staff they will cry foul just as many other ocupations have found out over the years. That the unions sold them down the river. Too bad the unions didn't have the decency to admit that early on.

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Oh sure they will cut nursing assistants if the staff is not united. Just at my hospital one med/surg unit has a CNA for every ten patients, RNs often only get three or four patients when acuity is high, and patients in danger of falling get a sitter. The charge nurse has no assignment.

Sometimes instead of an extra RN with high acuity they get an LVN. If the nurses assessment is that patient care is at risk it is documented. Management does not want documentation of unsafe staffing so it is very rare.

Another unit has nurses who don't get along with each other, they complain but that is all. They have one CNA at night to help eight RNs. Each RN always has five patients. The charge nurse will often take patients rather than call in another nurse.

I have floated to both units. All nice people but it takes collective action, even with a union. The union teaches us how but we need to do it.

My manager likes having the rules written into a contract. She then has the support she needs when budget time comes. She insists on making nursing care the "product" of our unit. She will take a patient or two or transport a patient to CT. Once she came in herself to admit a patient on a Saturday night. I think if she hadn't a patient could have died due to failure to rescue.

I know she went to the top with the situation. Now when we report that we need another nurse we get someone.

I credit it to a cohesive group of colleagues, commitment to patient advicacy, education from the union, our contract, a supportive manager, and good luck.

If I can't provide safe effective care I won't be there.[/QUOTE]

I am very envious. In Texas, I have worked med surg with 13 patients all to myself. No LPN, no CNA, no unit clerk. My pts were very acute- TPNs/lipids, acute liver failure, contiuous bladder irrigation, etc. All this for $17./hr for RN acute care wages in 2002.

I could not provide safe effective care in that situation, so I left. All the travelers who worked there at the time left, as well. they paid money to get out of their contracts. Some things aren't worth dealing with for any amount of money.

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And neither the legislature nor the unions have succeed. IF they had they wouldn't need travelers.

I am a traveler. I have not been able to get a contract in California. My recruiter says that all the travelers are standing in line to go to Cali, because of the ratios. Obviously, the ratios are attracting nurses.

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I am a traveler. I have not been able to get a contract in California. My recruiter says that all the travelers are standing in line to go to Cali, because of the ratios. Obviously, the ratios are attracting nurses.

Honda employees in Marysville Ohio are union. Honda is doing very well. I have worked in the auto industry in Detroit. I was a non-union temp worker. Man, did we get screwed.

I have worked in right-to-work states all of my life. Some jobs paid less than minimum wage. Some had no bathrooms or even water to drink on the premesis. One insisted that we worked overtime for FREE. I worked at a job where dozens of workers contracted a deadly disease called Berylliosis from unsafe working conditions and OSHA violations. Most of these people were fired after they became ill. This would never happen with a union.

You must be in mgmt.

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/currents/Content?oid=oid:42715

http://www.azstarnet.com/beryllium/0509n04.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11370937&dopt=Abstract

Tucson Arizona Beryllium Support Group - Tucson Arizona ; Past and present employees from Brush Wellman, Inc.

Tucson Arizona Beryllium Support Group

11323 N Anway

Marana, Az 85653

E-mail : [email protected]

#1 You need to change travel companies.. Sorry...

#2 You need to talk to coal miners in PA. I have. And I hope you watched the documentary on the SEIU president. Pretty informative. And directly out of HIS mouth. I am on a mini vac and I don't have my notes from the interview. Do you know he's recruiting workers in LONDON . England that is?

I've worked union too. Not as a union member. And I worked with the shop steward. She was always in the process of trying to find a way to sue the hospital for something. Always quoting her union contract when she didn't feel like doing something. Albeit, in her job description or not. The union doesn't empower anyone. It takes away your individual powers and puts them in the hands of people who don't care. Opps a powerful statement.

This particular shop steward was very much disliked by her peers. Yes they were union members too. But the union did nothing about her. Why would they? But I can tell you she turned off many who would have been good union members and really worked for the union.

In that particular unit on 3-11 we had 10 patients. A charge nurse, a float RN, 2 RN's for each of 5 patents, two PCT's , and a secretary. So if I can add this morning that meant 7 employees for 10 patients. TEN patients who by and large walked into the unit and walked out on their own steam four hours later.

Now that is waste and it will eventually come back to haunt that unit.

BTW NOT MANAGEMENT. Just a lowly staff traveler having no problem getting work in Cali...Today if I wanted it and my contract was up.

Oh and with open eyes and not easily swayed by propaganda. And a democrat too. Liberal even but not stu**d.

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i repeat:

i worked at a job where dozens of workers contracted a deadly disease called berylliosis from unsafe working conditions and osha violations. most of these people were fired after they became ill. this would never happen with a union.

why don't you browse a few of these links?

you must be in mgmt.

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/cu...?oid=oid:42715

http://www.azstarnet.com/beryllium/0509n04.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=113709 37&dopt=abstract

tucson arizona beryllium support group - tucson arizona ; past and present employees from brush wellman, inc.

tucson arizona beryllium support group

11323 n anway

marana, az 85653

e-mail : [email protected]

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