New national nurses union forms

buddiage · Dec 11, 2009

:yawn:

Another nurse union?

I tell you, we are so fragmented with different organizations and associations that I feel we don't have a chance at changing anything.

Frankly, I scared how healthcare is moving. I love the idea that healthcare could be available to everyone, but I am VERY leery that working conditions would be triply worse than they already are.

Willow Moonsidhe · Dec 11, 2009

I am worried the working conditions are going to get worse also. I am thinking of going to the VA. Does anyone here work at the Va and can tell me if they treat RN's better than Non Profit Hospitals are now?

RN4MERCY · Dec 11, 2009

Another nurse union?
I tell you, we are so fragmented with different organizations and associations that I feel we don't have a chance at changing anything.
Frankly, I scared how healthcare is moving. I love the idea that healthcare could be available to everyone, but I am VERY leery that working conditions would be triply worse than they already are.

re: "another nurse union"

You should be reassured and hopeful rather than leery. As the saying goes, it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Fear of worse working conditions can be paralyzing and that's just where the industry wants to keep nurses--fearful and immobilized. Enough of this learned helplessness and powerlessness; we've got to stay united against the bullies and the abusers who've created the unsafe and untenable working conditions that have threatened our patients and our right to practice our profession in the interests of patients.

National Nurses United was formed through the merger of the California Nurses Association, National Nurses Organizing Committee, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the United American Nurses.

The new RN "super" union has united to promote a national health policy agenda:

* Organizing all direct care nurses "into a single organization capable of exercising influence over the health care industry, governments, and employers."

* Promoting effective collective bargaining representation to all union affiliates to promote the economic and professional interests of all direct care nurses.

* Expanding the voice of direct care nurses and patients in public policy, including the enactment of safe nurse-to-patient ratios and patient advocacy rights in Congress and every state.

* Winning "health care justice, accessible, quality health care for all as a human right."

cali1234 · Dec 11, 2009

Thanks for sharing that.

karenchad · Dec 12, 2009

I have worked both union and non-union hospitals. I feel that union is the only way to go -18 months ago I would have disagreed but from what I have seem personally and what I read on this form and the articles quoted in REAL LIFE newspapers, I'm no longer on the fence about unions. I do agree that in the nurses union I was a member of for 18 years little to nonthing was done about the lateral violence, bullying and eating of any age group( young and old) I do have to say that the nusing union I was a part of had very high regard and respect for the older nurses in that hospital. I have stated many times on this form the history credited to that union- nursing pay was not a deliberate oversight or a sneer- when I started there as a young nurse I made $12.00/hr(1981) as a seasoned CCU RN was making $3.00/hr!! It was for this that union went out on strike and rightfully so!! there were sooo many "closet" payscales there The union Pres. said it made her sick(she was an ER RN). MANY underhanded stinking tricks were pulled - including diciplining a RN (a co-worker of mine for the perfume she was wearing!!) the VP of nursing who headed that witch hunt ( had to watch my spelling on that last word) was caught several years later ON CAMERA giving sexual favors to the guys in housekeeping and maintainence in a storage room out side the OR- she was escorted out of the building swiftly!! Back to less amusing point. A union I also think will put a screeching halt to the CEO's making Million dollar salaries while they hand down orders to lay nurses off, terminiations will lessen- the reasons will be less"at will"(whim/ kotex time of the month is more like it) buy-outs to the older more seniority nurses( who have given their young years to these UNGRATEFUL stink holes) will allso cease. These over paid Doogie Houser MBA's will have to deal with BIG SISTER/BROTHER watching, staffing ratios will be very much a part of the union agenda- back in the 1980's and 1990's we used to fill out "short staffing forms" many of which the hospital ended up regretting- they went into greivances and arbitration, if they cancelled a nurse with poor staffing, the union made darn sure the hospital paid that nurse for sitting home for that shift- something the hospital did NOT want to do. The union officers and the shopstewards must be impecable and meticulious about this documentation, and must be open to the complaints and concerns of it's members. Believe me I think subpenoing CEO salaries will be on the agenda after all the new grads and older nurses that have been left out of work for all this time. I have to believe that since it is 25 years later(since the 1980's) and with JCAHO's new mandate regarding lateral violence and bullying in healthcare setting- this too will be a focus and addressed in the nurses union leadership- even now Nurse managers continue to turn a blind eye( as many have admitted on this form, they don't know what to do about it. A NM even told me to my face she didn't know what to do, a nursing union will eat that right up- violence in the workplace is a labor law infraction/EEOC- big fines, lawsuit time, unions take labor laws very seriously), hospital administration's attitude is 'let the games begin' like the gladiators they really are(patient satisfaction is really only a PR slogan given the other shenagians these RATS, MORONS,DEGENERATES have pulled- big paychecks, no nurses, they love the smell of unemployment. Patient dying in ER's, they could care less) If other nurses unions accross the country will join into 1 union, the CEO's will be put in check- as they should have been A LONG time ago befor this disaster happened. The only critism I have with the docs is they are once again letting the nurses do their fighting for them. They need to grow a backbone and start supporting and backing the nurses in this furry. It impacts them too.

karenchad · Dec 12, 2009

I appologize for the length- but 30 years cannot be sumed up in one or two sentances. If it can then someone has not been listening or been very observant.

karenchad · Dec 13, 2009

To address the short staffinng- staffing ratio issue: I really don't think that would be a problem now- a -days. Look at all the nurses out of work- new grads , older experienced nurses and some in between. Mandated staffing rations just might open the flood gates to more open nursing positions, there by employing the nurses who can't find jobs now. the staffing ratios are the jolt of reality that is badly needed. All areas of nursing are GROSSLY understaffed- every where from OR to the LTCfacilities and Home Health. All areas of nursing have taken a major hit by the knife and gun club of CEO's across the country in their pursuit of greed and big bank accounts. A union ( 1 single powerful nursing union) might just be what the DOCTOR ordered.!

karenchad · Dec 13, 2009

It would also stop this mutilation of nurses' professional crediabilty- terminations because they don't like their scrub color that day, the fear of opening your mouth, the provocating and all of managements other sandbox antics.

Willow Moonsidhe · Dec 13, 2009

Is there a chapter of this Union in East Tennessee yet?

Thanks

Willow

duke1010 · Dec 14, 2009

I for one will not have my monthly dues sent to a political party supported by the trial lawyers that make millions from suing doctors and hospitals.

shah · Dec 14, 2009

There is no shortage of nurses, only a shortage of nurses willing to work under impossible circumstances. Unions will be able to enforce safe patient to nurse ratios. In California there are mandatory nurse to patient ratios, and yes the hospitals did not go bankrupt.

Union or no union, there is still a nursing shortage. You can say that there will be a better nurse/patient ratio - but until I see the union pooping out more nurses, then the ratio is not going to change. If a unit has X amount of nurses and X amount of patients, then that is the ratio, union or not.
.......

lamazeteacher · Dec 14, 2009

I for one will not have my monthly dues sent to a political party supported by the trial lawyers that make millions from suing doctors and hospitals.

What has that got to do with the new National Nurses Union? :igtsyt: