INCREDIBLE CNA/NNOC victory in Houston.

[Chico David]

I'm posting this fast, and don't yet have all the details, but here is what I do know:

CNA just won a representation election for the RNs at Cypress Fairbanks Hospital, a part of the Tenet chain in Houston Texas.

Other than a small number of RNs employed by the federal government, this represents the first unionized nurses in the entire state a very tough organizing environment. It is the first major fruits of a three year statewide campaign.

The election was run under an organizing agreement won at the bargaining table by Tenet nurses in California.

Don't yet have numbers or other details, will make a second post when I do. I've met some of these Texas nurses and they are just the greatest. This is only the first of many organizing victories to come in this state.

[CMCRN]

In my experience, the union makes it's own rules for how "votes" go. Be it for contract ratification or for strike authorization. I have never seen a union do a public counting of ballots like the NLRB does. They count the ballots in private behind closed doors and the outcome is always what the union wants!! "The employees overwhelming voted in favor of..." I fought the battle to try to be invovled. Unions are not a democracy! He who counts the ballots wins!

Hey there! Wait just a darn minute. Now you are talking about me! During the last 2 strike votes at my facility I was asked by my union rep to do the counting. I am just a regular RN. I happened to be in the lunch room a couple of days later and randomly heard the same thing..."Well I heard there was a secret count and they didn't release the numbers..." I turned around and said I am they, and you are harming my reputation, I did that count. I am sure that is why my rep asked me to do it, because these rumors always go around. And anyone could be present at the count. Quite frankly no one wanted to hang around until 930PM to see the count.

[PICUPNP]

You are not permitted to opt out of membership (most of the RNs would). If you opt out of the union. you must leave your job.

K98, You should move to Texas where we are a Right to Work state and union membership is always optional as well as paying the ridiculous dues.

[forrester]

As usual, we can count on nurses like PICUPRN to look out for themselves at the expense of the rest of the profession and healthcare in general.

United we stand, divided we fall.

[PICUPNP]

Once again, the pro union shop has put the hardships of nurses everywhere at the feet of those who oppose unions..... If they are so great, why isn't Tx heavily unionized? Maybe its because most nurses in this area have the same thought as I do? Your union will only be able to move forward in states where there are no right to work laws. In other words, only in states that are in the union's pocket. What you need to understand is that what's right for one group of nurses isn't necessarily right for all nurses.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

http://www.calnurses.org/nnoc/nevada/

[forrester]

I'm afraid it is you who is grossly misinformed. Many states are not union states because the industries/businesses in those states were able to repel the union movement back in the 1920's and 1930's. They did this because they controlled, and continue to control, the governments in those states.

First off, it is not my union. I am not a union member where I work, because there isn't one. If there was, I would proudly be a member.

Unions function, and exist, because there has been, and continues to be, a distrust of management to "do the right thing". Capitalism functions by the continued reduction of cost and the need to increase profits. Labor is the easiest focal point to reduce costs, Therefore, management continues to assault labor in order to increase profits. This is forced on business when it cannot control and reduce supply costs or production costs. In essence. capitalism is a huge pyramid scheme at many levels.

Now, as far as nursing is concerned, we have an a priori mandate to be patient advocates. This requires, however, that we protect ourselves as well. The IOM report CLEARLY showed us that the healthcare industry was incapable of instituting safety measures to protect our patients. It has been gross neglect on the part of nursing that we have not responded to this forcibly as a profession.

This is not radical, unless you don't think we have an ethical mandate to advocate and protect our patients. The tension between the profit driven healthcare administrations, the profit driven medical community, and the patient advocacy driven nursing profession has been palpable over the decades, but rarely outside of a unionized setting. The ANA has been steadfastly impotent in this battle,

The AONE has been steadfastly complacent.

If it takes a unionized profession to wage this battle competently, than so be it, and I support it.

Those of you driven only by "self" concern need to re-evaluate your ethical obligations. People are being hurt, Americans are being hurt, and if you don't give a d..., then fess up and admit it. Otherwise, do the right thing and join those who truly are trying to advocate for and protect all patients.

[tewdles, RN]

As usual, we can count on nurses like PICUPRN to look out for themselves at the expense of the rest of the profession and healthcare in general.

United we stand, divided we fall.

This is a human phenomenon...self before others. This truth is quite evident in the healthcare reform debate as well.

[SheaTab]

I have noticed that the conversation regarding unions in Texas revolves around paying dues, and nurses not interested in joining a union. I have also learned that some nurses are able to take care of themselves, live a good life, and do not need no stinking union. All of these pieces relate to $$. What about the facts concerning the corporate health care assault on nursing practice through out this country? Who is determining how nursing practice will proceed into the future? If nurses do not have a unified voice regarding nursing practice issues, and patient safely issues, we have failed as a profession. Unions and how they approach bargaining are different, one from another. There are unions that are democratic, with members driving the agenda. There are unions that are union/management partnerships, having predetermined contracts that support corporate profits at the expense of the nurses and patients. Seems like the hospital in Texas with the decent ratios is paying attention to California, for those are the ratios which together for over ten years, the nurses in California fought. I am interested in nursing as a profession that supports and cares for the sick, does it safely, with adequate competences. If you are only interested in how much you can make, and what an awesome life style you live, I would challenge you to become involved in the fight for our profession. Since when has collective work for an honorable cause been out of style? This dialogue is about more than $$.

kat nurse:

What an excellent point you make. I am proud to say that I would be willing to take a pay cut to support our profession and patients. What a mess we are ALL in! Most all quality indicators are "nurse sensitive" to some degree or another. Even those not directly nurse driven--antibiotics prior to some surgeries, for example--require a nurse to administer the medication even though the physician has written the order. This is a partnership. Nurses are at the heart of safe and quality healthcare in the United States and this is where United States Nurses must collectively advocate for the rights of their patients. As a Georgia Nurse, I am very concerned for the patients and Nurses in Texas, Nebraska, Maine, and every other state. I have every reason to be energized by the opportunity to leave my profession in better condition than I found it.

Best!

[forrester]

reform can be accomplished only when attitudes are changed.

we commit ourselves to any wrong or degradation or injury when we do not protest against it.

— lillian d. wald, rn 1867-1940: mother of public health nursing & social reformer

how fitting that you cite lillian wald. she issued a challenge to nursing, and nurses, over 100 years ago. that challenge was "to know and to tell".

well, we know, but have no means of telling, at least in a politically significant way. the ana knows, but it is impotent to act. the aone knows, but has sold out on the goals.

nurses know, but we are so disorganized we can't do anything about it.

we've let the whole country down.

time now to act.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

[color=#a6192c]rns at houston's cypress-fairbanks hospital vote to reaffirm membership in national nurses united

[color=#a6192c]

first unionized private-sector hospital in texas

in a dramatic expression of support for the aspirations of texas registered nurses to have a stronger voice to speak out for patients and themselves, rns at cypress-fairbanks hospital in houston voted today to remain members of national nurses organizing committee-texas, the state's affiliate of national nurses united, the national union and professional association for rns.

the election was supervised by the national labor relations board, and defeated a proposal to withdraw the union at the facility, the first private-sector hospital in the state to unionize. nnoc-texas represents nearly 300 rns at the hospital.

http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2010/april/rns-at-houston-s-cypress-fairbanks-hospital-vote-to-reaffirm-membership-in-national-nurses-united.html

[Chico David, BSN, RN]

This discussion wandered far from the original topic of the Houston election, but thought this the best vehicle for a news update: The nurses at Cypress-Fairbanks got derailed by the management delaying contract negotiations long enough that the minority of anti-union nurses were able to force another vote on an attempt to de-certify the union. Those votes have just been counted by the NLRB with the result that the nurses voted by a larger majority than the first time to re-affirm their support for NNOC membership. Now I predict we can look for a fairly expeditious settling of a contract - and for more Texas nurses to follow in short order.

[Chico David, BSN, RN]

Herring: looks like you and I were thinking along the same lines at the same time - thanks for your nicely done update.