starting a Union

mercy31513 · Mar 9, 2004

Does anyone know how you could get a union started in a hospital. LPN and RN. Where I worked before Up north in Ohio, I had recuters contacting me to try to get one started, although were I was at had good benefits and decient pay. few political problems, but what hospital doesn't. Now I've moving down here to a 5 hospital system and the pay is ok, ( I took a $3.oo cut, but was a float before) but the benefits suck! insurance premiums are high and inte insurance in terible. Other nurses agree a union would be great there, but don't think the system would allow it. Any advice on what could be done to get started?

I don't think organizations which employ nurses want unions. It is not profitable for them. workers rights can only be obtained through unionization in today's health care settings. The World Bank has endorsed Trade Unions.

mercy31513 · Apr 11, 2004

Does anyone know how you could get a union started in a hospital. LPN and RN. Where I worked before Up north in Ohio, I had recuters contacting me to try to get one started, although were I was at had good benefits and decient pay. few political problems, but what hospital doesn't. Now I've moving down here to a 5 hospital system and the pay is ok, ( I took a $3.oo cut, but was a float before) but the benefits suck! insurance premiums are high and inte insurance in terible. Other nurses agree a union would be great there, but don't think the system would allow it. Any advice on what could be done to get started?

I just now finished a research paper on nursing unions. I suggest you call a trade union and not a professional union although I am a member of the ANA and GNA. Trade Unions focus their efforts on rightsfor workers where as professional unions concentrate on supply and demand strategy(regulating entry) in order to get more money and higher education credentials more than workers rights. Only because nurses are deflecting to trade unions did ANA institute United American Nurses Union. I found through all the reading that Service Employes International Union is geared towards the working nurse and public regardless of your Title.