NS with Union Questions

miss81, BSN, RN · Jul 1, 2011

I'm a shop steward for our union... I may be able to answer your questions. I became part of the union here as it was mandatory in order to work with my health board!

MyGranniePanties · Jul 1, 2011

I am interested in this as well. I am in Louisiana and it is my understanding that I don't "have" to join a union. What are the pros/cons?

GM2RN · Jul 1, 2011

Union's aren't perfect and they have their downside, but overall, I'd rather work union than not.

If you don't belong to a union, you are probably an "at will" employee, meaning you can be let go from your job for any reason at any time and you will likely have no recourse. Not so with a union.

My union contract provides for automatic yearly raises, even when non-union employees got none the past few years due to the economy.

Management isn't supposed to do anything outside the contract, so certain things, like staffing, cannot be legally changed without further negotiation.

Sometimes, though, management does try to make non-contractual changes. When that happens, you have someone to do your fighting for you.

One of the cons is that unions make it difficult to get rid of bad nurses. However, from what I've read here, that's not uncommom even for non-union hospitals.

I'm sure others will come up with more but I can't think of any right now.

miss81, BSN, RN · Jul 1, 2011

Union's aren't perfect and they have their downside, but overall, I'd rather work union than not.
If you don't belong to a union, you are probably an "at will" employee, meaning you can be let go from your job for any reason at any time and you will likely have no recourse. Not so with a union.
My union contract provides for automatic yearly raises, even when non-union employees got none the past few years due to the economy.
Management isn't supposed to do anything outside the contract, so certain things, like staffing, cannot be legally changed without further negotiation.
Sometimes, though, management does try to make non-contractual changes. When that happens, you have someone to do your fighting for you.
One of the cons is that unions make it difficult to get rid of bad nurses. However, from what I've read here, that's not uncommom even for non-union hospitals.
I'm sure others will come up with more but I can't think of any right now.

I TOTALLY agree... I've worked both and I'd rather be unionized. One other cons is that we use "seniority" for job advancement. CAN be good for nurses that have been at the same facility for a long time but it can also mean that the best nurse for the job does not get the job. On the other hand, I read all these threads about good nurses loosing their jobs over silly stuff just as an excuse for management to get rid of them. Not gonna happen with a union. Unions have negotiated awesome salaries, paid Maternity leave, mandatory shift hours (unless the nurse decides that she WANTS to work more hours). I'd love to answer some specific questions for you!

GM2RN · Jul 1, 2011

I TOTALLY agree... I've worked both and I'd rather be unionized. One other cons is that we use "seniority" for job advancement. CAN be good for nurses that have been at the same facility for a long time but it can also mean that the best nurse for the job does not get the job. On the other hand, I read all these threads about good nurses loosing their jobs over silly stuff just as an excuse for management to get rid of them. Not gonna happen with a union. Unions have negotiated awesome salaries, paid Maternity leave, mandatory shift hours (unless the nurse decides that she WANTS to work more hours). I'd love to answer some specific questions for you!

Yeah, the senority thing can suck sometimes. The flip side of the coin though, is that it at least eliminates management from "playing favorites." In a perfect world, I'd love to be able to trust that management would always be fair and objective, and in that case I'd vote for non-union because I know what I'm capable of and what my work ethic is. Unfortunately, that will never happen.

Chico David, BSN, RN · Jul 1, 2011

Short form answer: I too am very involved in my union. So understand this comes from that perspective.

Management in all industries hate unions because they have to share a bigger piece of the pie with workers and because they can't just make changes because they decide to - eliminate your pension, cut your hours, lay you off, fire you for no reason, etc. And that's why manager will spend a fortune and tell any lie, break any law to try to keep their nurses from unionizing.

That said, not all unions are equal. Some unions fight hard for their members, are highly democratic and responsive. Others fail in a variety of ways. I am a huge believer in nurse-run unions for nurses. Because many of the state nurses associations don't do collective bargaining (and some of those that do don't do it very well) a lot of non-nurse unions have jumped into the vacuum and represent some nurses - including unions for steelworkers, laborers, teamsters, teachers, etc. Most of them don't understand the special needs of nursing all that well.

The best nurse unions, like the Massachusetts and California and Minnesota Nurses Associations, PASNAP in Pennsylvania and the National Nurses United have done a lot to advance the profession, protect patients and bring nurses decent salaries and benefits. You'll find there is a collective bargaining and nurse union area of this site with a ton more of this sort of discussion on it.

BOOYARN · Jul 1, 2011

i rather work unionized.... why? higher pay, more raises, cant get fired because some said so.... i worked both and working for a union is much better!

scecile · Jul 1, 2011

You ask a good question. One I'm sure many nurses like you are wondering. I'm familiar with National Nurses United and they have a section on its website that may answer some of your concerns. Here's the link http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/page/signup/organize

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Jul 1, 2011

Hi!
I am a soon-to-be nursing student who is trying to understand the politics of hospitals and unions.
If you are knowledgeable about nursing unions and how they work, can you please help me understand?
Also, if you are part of a union can you tell me why you choose to be a part of one and how it benefits you.
If you are not part of a nursing union, can you tell me why you choose not to participate?
If you have any other insights regarding nursing unions, please feel free to elaborate.
Thanks so much! I appreciate all comments and look forward to reading them.

I worked in a non-union nursing home, made $10/hr and the working conditions were horrible. A lot of my coworkers were complete sleds.

I switched to a union hospital job, got a 50% raise and while it is still a tough job, the working conditions were great. I'll trade that for some union dues any day.

jesskidding, LPN · Jul 2, 2011

Thanks for all the responses. Do you have to pay dues? Does management treat you any differently if you a part of a union?

macgirl · Jul 2, 2011

I was wondering what states have unions.....