Negotiate for what?

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What can/does/should a nurses union negotiate for? Besides the answer "anything," I really want to know what your union has successfully or not, negotiated for. My union, SEIU, is collecting information as to what we want to negotiate for.

I know that salary, healthcare contributions, staffing, and PTO/vacation are all things that can be on the table.

My issues are: We need more CNA's per shift, each RN/CNA need to have their own hospital-provided phone (I know it's $$$ but so much more efficient and safe), better support from other departments like patient transport. I want these on the table.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

I don't work in a union facility, but if you check out the campaigns tab of the NNU website, you can see what their current issues are. I'm sure that other unions' websites would offer similar information.

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
I don't work in a union facility, but if you check out the campaigns tab of the NNU website, you can see what their current issues are. I'm sure that other unions' websites would offer similar information.
Pages 6 & 7 give an idea what nurses negotiate for:

National Nurses United - CNA/NNU 101 -- 2013 edition

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Specializes in retired LTC.

1 - Paid education time-off for off-site education; some fixed amount of reimbursement for educational offerings (CEU, certs, etc). If it isn't used, it would be forfeited.

2 - Some uniform allowance or provision of scrubs (or the allowance).

3 - Very, very specific bereavement accommodations re time off. Some of the 'relationships' that staff call-out for are rather atypical!

4 - Some type of compensation for 'MANADATED' required overtime. If time is MANDATED, then COMPENSATION is absolutely provided in accordance with the contract. no hooey.

5 - In LTC on 11-7, my CNAs were not allowed to leave the bldg for their meal/break times (if they left the bldg, there would be too few staff left in the bldg for safety). Their union negotiated their contract to include "sandwiches and beverage" for the CNAs on our shift. That was the contract wording.

When I came to the place, that provision WAS NOT being honored, yet my CNAs still couldn't leave the bldg. Between the union rep and myself, we eventually had meal provision arranged. The kitchen freq left platters (like whatever the pts had for THEIR meals) or they left some specially prepared dishes). Sometimes, the food left something to be desired, but the contract did not specify special gourmet, haute cuisine meals. (Some aides just couldn't grasp that detail!) Once in a while, the kitchen forgot, but I'd leave a message for the dietary manager. Usually we were OK.

This sounds rather minor, but it was an issue for my CNAs who were being DENIED an option that other staff could exercise. On a good nite, there'd be 6 CNAs, 5 usually, 4 at minimum; sometimes there'd be an extra meal or 2 for nurses who were NOT part of the union. We just made sure any uneaten 'kitchen union meals' were disposed of, just so management couldn't say that food was being wasted.

So if meal/food availability is a problem for some, this might be a negotiation point.

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

Please understand that many nurses would retire at 62 if they had a defined benefit pension plan. That should be a top priority along with safe staffing.

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Thank you for the examples thus far! Keep them coming!!!

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

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