nurses buttons bother administration

BamaBound2bRN · Sep 17, 2005

I believe that the administration was correct in there actions, IF there was adequate staffing once the 7 were sent home. It is unprofessional for nurses or doctors or flight attendants, or amyone else with a uniform on to wear political or religous advertisement. What would be next, a button that read "All you can eat diner........?" Maybe we can rent out space on the back of our scrubs to our favorite political party? What if I wanted to wear a button for Anthrax or Metallica or Barry Manilo?

SitcomNurse, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN · Sep 17, 2005

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Sep-15-Thu-2005/news/27211959.html
unreal. as if these buttons were disruptive.

The only disruption of patient care here was by the supervisor interrupting the nurse while she was trying to care for a patient. And, on that point, the button did interfere with patient care issues, as the supervisor felt compelled to speak about it. If she would have waited for a more appropriate time to talk about the button, the supervisor who probabally once was a nurse, may have been able to grasp the concept of what this nurse was actually supporting.

I wear a button at my job that says "Fill these shoes!"

Take it as you like it, but I see it as...Do my job, go ahead I dare ya.

Others see it as a jab at low staffing ..fill these shoes when I leave...

others see it as a call for more nurses...

IMHO: Its all in the interpretation, and this supervisor was threatened by something.

:stone

:nurse:

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Sep 17, 2005

A 1945 Supreme Court decision, which upheld the right of union employees to wear union buttons at work, will be cited, union attorney Brooke Pierman said.
Since that decision, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that "special circumstances" exist dictating when buttons cannot be worn, particularly if they could be construed as inciting disruptive behavior.
"Obviously, we will argue that there is no 'special circumstance' exception for a button that reads `I'm On Spring Valley Watch,' " Pierman said.

Federal law permits with wearing of buttons by union staff members as long as not inciting disruptive behaviour.

Facility in my area that also asked RN organizing staff to remove buttons paid a settlement fee to NLRB over this exact issue.

lllliv · Sep 17, 2005

quote"IMHO: Its all in the interpretation, and this supervisor was threatened by something."quote

they hate to see nurses banding together and actually supporting one another. when all the hospitals are unionized they may have to treat their staff a little better. that is the threat.

TinyNurse, RN · Sep 17, 2005

I want a button that says "fill these shoes"!!!! that's awesome.

ya know I never knew about "nursing togetherness" until I moved to cali.

ok, and I do have a bit of a rant here........what's up with nurses wearing belly shirts, and shirts advertising other hospitals??? now that I think is just wrong.

SeekUrBliss · Sep 17, 2005

I want a button that says "fill these shoes"!!!! that's awesome.
ya know I never knew about "nursing togetherness" until I moved to cali.
ok, and I do have a bit of a rant here........what's up with nurses wearing belly shirts, and shirts advertising other hospitals??? now that I think is just wrong.

Amazing! Really?

I haven't seen any belly-showin' nurses YET but i'm sure it'll make it here in time.

BamaBound2bRN · Sep 17, 2005

quote
when all the hospitals are unionized they may have to treat their staff a little better. that is the threat.

It will be a sad state when ALL hospitals are unionized. The unions have driven up the cost of air fare, driven down the quality of american automobiles, and made a mockery out of real labor issues like Child Labor and Occupational Safety.

grannynurse FNP student · Sep 17, 2005

It will be a sad state when ALL hospitals are unionized. The unions have driven up the cost of air fare, driven down the quality of american automobiles, and made a mockery out of real labor issues like Child Labor and Occupational Safety.

I've lived and worked in two states, both of which I had union representation. One was a Right to Work state. The mockery was the union, in the RTW state, that pretend to represent me. Just who do you think brought about the changes in the Child Labor and Occupational Safety laws? It wasn't the employers. It was the unions.

Grannynurse

SharonH, RN · Sep 21, 2005

It will be a sad state when ALL hospitals are unionized. The unions have driven up the cost of air fare, driven down the quality of american automobiles, and made a mockery out of real labor issues like Child Labor and Occupational Safety.

LOL! The quality of American automobiles has never been higher. The cost of airfare? Anyone can tell you that there are a large number of reasons for the recent higher costs including the cost of fuel, security issues related to 9/11, and gross mismanagement. No one, except for the corporate chiefs who are paid millions will claim that the unions are behind higher prices. Do you think that an underpaid, overworked workforce will produce a good quality of anything? Thank God for unions although their influence is declining due to a government which favors corporations over working people. Talk about making a mockery out of real labor issues.

lindarn · Sep 21, 2005

Federal law permits with wearing of buttons by union staff members as long as not inciting disruptive behaviour.
Facility in my area that also asked RN organizing staff to remove buttons paid a settlement fee to NLRB over this exact issue.

Here in Spokane, Washington, the nurses at Sacred Heart Medical Center won an NLRB won an NLRB Hearing over the wearing of buttons at work. I don't have article in front of me, but it was over staffing issues. WSNA was overjoyed of course, that they finally won a round with the hospital. Its too bad that they don't put more effort into their contract negotiations, and support of the nursing staff from abuse by the management and administration. They might not have the nurses getting out of WSNA in droves. After the last contract settlement, the hospital only gave the nurses a 5% raise, but increased the cost of the medical benefits by 20%. And refused to give the nurses retroactive pay for the 4 months that it took to agree on a contract. This is after they built a brand new Childrens Hospital, and a Heart Institute, that can't keep business now that out lying hospitals have built their own cardiac centers. And they keep pleading poverty when the nurses contract comes up for renewal. A sucker is born every minute.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

hipab4hands · Sep 21, 2005

It will be a sad state when ALL hospitals are unionized. The unions have driven up the cost of air fare, driven down the quality of american automobiles, and made a mockery out of real labor issues like Child Labor and Occupational Safety.

It's the Union, especially here in CA,that is getting mandatory staffing ratios put into law The hospitals are not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. The union has enabled us to get pay raises that lets us to continue to work and live in CA. Some of us are even able to afford homes, (Gee, what a concept). The union insures that I get reasonable benefits. Otherwise, the hospital wouldn't provide any, if they could get away with it. The union makes sure that I get paid for all hours that I work, whether its just 5 minutes of overtime or several hours.

The union is not perfect and some of their political activities, I do not agree with. However, after working in both union and non union medical settings, I'll take a union shop anyday.