Looking for union organizing info (newbie here)

pickledpepperRN · May 11, 2003

I love the letter.

Pay attention to your state nurses association!

Each facility will have different problems and solutions. Your union will be as strong as it's members.

I quit my job because Tenet bought the nice hospital I loved. Now i work part time at a union hospital for benefits and when up to it work registry. (curious).

At the CNA hospitals I experience excellent conditions where the nurses work to make it that way. Other hospitals and units where they just pay dues the care is almost as bad as non union facilities. There is even one fine hospital that keeps standards, pay, and benefits up for the purpose of avoiding a union.

I hope you keep us posted. Good luck to you. with unity you will succeed.

Pinky18 · May 12, 2003

Edited - spam - TOS violation.

pickledpepperRN · May 14, 2003

Originally posted by billzie
Thanks again folks for all of your input and support. I was able to find this response from the former co-workers of the RN that the hospital brought in to bad mouth the union:
http://216.239.57.104/search?hl=en&q=cache:fMCkVu507sQC:http://www.kcnursesunited.org/St%2520Joe%2520Hospital%2520pro%2520union.doc+cindy+wysock

On another note...
We are having our first Organizing Committee open house this Thur and Fri (May 15, 16) from 8am to 8pm at 6060 N. Northwest Hwy Chicago, Il. If any of you folks scoping this thread are from the Chicago area and want to check us out, get/give info, or just shoot the breeze drop in, we're glad to have you! We will be have some folks from around the country to share their experiences organizing. I will be there for parts of both days, but mostly on Thur. If anyone has questions or would just like to talk to me one on one, just email me and we will exchange phone #s.
Hope to see you there!
Thanks again folks, Bill.

After the meetings please tell us how it went. OK?

kewlnurse · May 15, 2003

there are a lot of bad unions out ther, I have worked for 2 of them. Carful what you wish for, you just might get it.

pickledpepperRN · May 15, 2003

Originally posted by kewlnurse
there are a lot of bad unions out ther, I have worked for 2 of them. Carful what you wish for, you just might get it.

I know a nurse who worked at a hospital with a contract with this union (SEIU). She was suspended for something she said she didn't do. When she called her union representative (paid by the union NOT an employee steward) he said, "If you're so unhappy why don't you leave."

Doesn't that sound like management?

She quit and works at another hospital.

http://cna.igc.org/cna/seiuwatch/

-jt · May 15, 2003

she should have sued her union for misrepresentation

pickledpepperRN · May 16, 2003

Originally posted by -jt
she should have sued for misrepresentation

I agree. Before that she should have gone to HIS supervisor.

She said, "I thought you had a union so you didn't have to sue your employer."

Too bad.

pickledpepperRN · May 18, 2003

Bill:

What happened at the meeting?

-jt · May 18, 2003

She said, "I thought you had a union so you didn't have to sue your employer."

Too bad.>

well you lost me there. If her complaint was with the union rep not representing her appropriately, whats that got to do with her employer? If shes misrespresented by her union rep, she reports that to her UNION - not her employer - and she can sue her union. Her union is not her employer. So I dont get what she meant in her comment. Anyway, she still should have reported to her union officials how she was treated by her so-called rep.

pickledpepperRN · May 18, 2003

Originally posted by -jt
She said, "I thought you had a union so you didn't have to sue your employer."
Too bad.>

well you lost me there. If her complaint was with the union rep not representing her appropriately, whats that got to do with her employer? If shes misrespresented by her union rep, she reports that to her UNION - not her employer - and she can sue her union. Her union is not her employer. So I dont get what she meant in her comment. Anyway, she still should have reported to her union officials how she was treated by her so-called rep.

Sorry, I didn't explain accurately. This is a large union with a main office in Washington DC. Instead of quitting my job I would have reported the union employee to his supervisor at the UNION.

I would hope that this particular union representative was not speaking for his employer.

If the union did not then represent my as they should (after all that is part of what dues are for) then I would sue the union.

billzie · May 27, 2003

Howdy again folks and sorry for the delay, sometimes life gets in the way...

I attended the open house for our organizing commitee on the first day in the early hours 0800-1200, so I did not see much action and was a little dissappointed in the turnout. I did see a handful of folks who I'd never seen before and this was encouraging as they were from other facilities in our system. All was not lost and my faith restored as I heard from my fellow organizers that the afternoon to evening hours were much more busy.

We're still fighting the unbelievable fear factor amongst our co-workers, hmmm, still makes me wonder how the Catholic values of our hospital is breeding this. According to the national union officers who've worked with us, they think this is the worst they've seen the fear and opprssion of hospital workers. Oh, I wish the mentality here were more coastal, it seems you good folks are more proactive, political, and outspoken for your rights and have gotten out from under the boot of management to better yourselves. (cheers) Here's to hoping for hope!

Thanks all, Bill.

pickledpepperRN · May 27, 2003

Bill:

When the California Nurses Association wanted to organize as a union they had to get an expert from Chicago! Thant was in the 1940s. Perhaps the times have changed.

I do see that the better the patient care the less union activity. Money is needed, but nurses won't work hard just for the money. Some of us are wildly protective of our patients though.