Nurse Practitioner Union in WA

[HansAnderson]

Hi everyone,

I am hoping for some feedback or comments about Nurse Practitioner Unions. I am transferring jobs to WA and am now being offered to join a union. My main question is: Is a union necessary for NP's considering our duties and responsibilities? Here are the direct benefits:

Union:

Representation if needed

Job protection from unfair treatment and termination without just cause

2.5 weeks of vacation and 2 weeks of sick time

Non-Union:

3.5 additional weeks of vacation

These pointers seem to be the biggest difference between union vs. non-union. If I am non-union, I may have to perform some managerial duties, like employee reviews and staff schedules. If I don't join the union upon starting, I will not be able to re-join at a later date. Any comments or experience with NP unions would be appreciated. Thanks!

[egg122 NP, MSN, APRN]

Does the union offer any additional benefits (pension, cheaper or better health plan etc)? Also why did the NPs feel the needs to form an join a union (ie does this employer have a history of being toxic or unfair)?

[HansAnderson]

Thank you for the reply. The union does not offer any additional benefits. The retirement contribution and health plan is the same for union vs. non-union. Strangely the non-union position does offer tuition reimbursement (up to $2,500) but the union position does not. As far as the union rep is concerned, there is not a history of the employer treating NPs unfairly.

As an RN, I understood why unions were necessary. They helped with staffing grids, unsafe staffing reports, cost of living increases, violence prevention, and there was a pension. I'm finding it hard to justify sacrificing 3.5 weeks of vacation to join the union. Still thinking about it and have to make a decision in 2 weeks.

[egg122 NP, MSN, APRN]

I agree with you. Plus you'd loose income on union dues. One other thing to think about is negotiating future raises/ bonuses. If you are union, would you be locked into a bargaining unit that limits your ability to individually negotiate this?

[Xance]

I am pro-union, so go into my suggestion with that in mind. It surprises me that the benefits of that union are so small compared to non-union. As some may point out, a very select few employers offer better benefits than a union does simply because they have the resources and low-turnover to support increased benefits. If you have found such an employer than I recommend going non-union in that situation. In most cases joining a union is the better option, but if the pay is the same, no added benefits for union membership, and non-union is offering better than I suggest that. Before you make that decision since you have the luxury of time, check pay differences, like who gets what raise and how often. What the benefits are, and any possible premiums for those, and any additional perks that you may not be aware of.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

I am an Acute Care NP who is represented by a union and I work in California. We have NP's in the same institution who are not part of the union. I prefer to be part of the union because:

1. I have many years of RN + NP experience which automatically puts me at the highest tier for pay per our salary algorithm. I did not need to negotiate the salary.

2. I am paid hourly and any hours I work over and beyond my normal work hours are overtime.

3. I get shift, weekend, and holiday differentials. The nature of my specialty requires that I work some of those off hours and holidays/weekends.

4. I find that the dues are negligible compared to the actual salary.

5. The union fights for fair pay even for NP's. We NP's had the highest pay increase in the most recent contract negotiations (more than the RN's).

6. There are automatic pay raises every year (3% on this contract), and step or tier raises based on years of experience which you accumulate over time. You will outpace the non-union in terms of pay faster.