Kansas City Nurses Fight Union Tactics

[viral2010]

kansas city nurse challenges backroom union deal to silence employees who oppose unionization

research medical center nurse files federal unfair labor practice charges against secret "neutrality agreement" that gives union organizers preferential treatment

kansas city, mo (august 12, 2010) - with free legal assistance from the national right to work foundation, a kansas city nurse has filed unfair labor practice charges against two unions and her employer for signing a "neutrality agreement" that gives union organizers preferential access to research medical center.

mary hill and many other nurses oppose unionization at research medical center. despite these reservations, hca, inc., research medical center's parent company, agreed to help organizers from two collaborating unions impose monopoly bargaining on hill and her colleagues.

hill states that, facing pressure from service employees international union (seiu) and california nurses association (cna) union organizers, the company signed a secret "neutrality agreement" with officials from both unions.

although the exact terms of this secret pact are unknown, hca has given cna and seiu organizers wide-ranging access to employee break rooms, lounges, and other company facilities. on the other hand, hca is refusing to grant employees who oppose unionization equal access to its facilities, and has gagged supervisors from discussing unionization with concerned employees.

although it appears the "skids have been greased" for union officials to gain monopoly bargaining control of employees at research medical center, employees who oppose unionization are thus left at a disadvantage. cna union officials are already facing charges for using similar tactics during union organizing drives at philadelphia and houston hospitals.

hill's complaint will now be investigated by the national labor relations board.

"caught between union bosses and corporate executives who sell out employees to gain what will likely be very short term union boss favors, kansas city employees have been stripped of their rights to organize against forced unionism in their workplace," said patrick semmens, legal information director for the national right to work foundation. "medical professionals shouldn't be subjected to backroom deals that give union operatives preferential treatment at the expense of employees' workplace rights."

[RN4MERCY]

Trolls and unionbusters must think direct care nurses are pretty stupid. Nurses have great assessment skills; they collect, analyze, and evaluate complex, variable data every day. Nurses understand that their rights to freedom of speech regarding unsafe practices and working conditions shouldn't be checked at the door. Without a union, nurses are more apt to being bullied, harrassed, and fired by management for their advocacy activities. Nurses have the critical thinking skills necessary to understand their rights to organize. And, nurses who've actually been through a union organizing drive will recognize that you've posted a blatantly inaccurate and disparaging description of an organizing agreement. Kudos to those nurses at RMC who want to organize their peers to make their work environment safer for their patients and nursing practice.

Why wait for a tragedy....

"Pressure for change was often only finally effective after a major tragedy..."