Nurses at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen Texas

[SherwoodRN]

Nurses at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen Texas voted July 11, 2012 to decertify and remove the NNOC union as their bargaining agent. This decertification was successful despite a neutrality agreement between the corporate owners of the hospital and the union.

The nurses were left on their own to fight this and found the information and resources necessary to convince their co-workers that the union voted in a little over a year ago was not able to follow through with their promises.

[Mindful, RN]

WELL I"LL tell you what happen... management hired new staff from overseas that voted NO to NNOC !:thankya:

[Mindful, RN]

......:bowingpur free at last

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

One year after NNOC first election, contract was still not signed, so nurses voted them out of this HCA owned facility.

Many RN's are unaware that first contracts may take that long to occur.

Key union vote at Valley hospital takes place - Rio Grande Guardian

Valley hospital nurses[/i] vote to decertify union - Rio Grande Guardian

...Last year, RNs at the McAllen-based hospital voted to join the National Nurses Organizing Committee-Texas, which is affiliated to National Nurses United. But on Wednesday, under a National Labor Relations Board operated election, RNs voted 156 to 128 to “decertify” the union....

[GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

enlightening~

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

well, this is another reason i left the south and will never return to work as nurse. too many southern born and raised nurses are scared because they are ill-informed (bargaining agreements and unions are the boogie-man)! sadly texan nurses who are affected by this are going to continue to work in poor conditions with no hope of change, but they do not know any different.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

well, this is another reason i left the south and will never return to work as nurse. too many southern born and raised nurses are scared because they are ill-informed (bargaining agreements and unions are the boogie-man)! sadly texan nurses who are affected by this are going to continue to work in poor conditions with no hope of change, but they do not know any different.

question - are you from the south or just making observations about us based on your own impressions? fyi - it's "texas nurses".... we only use "texan" as a noun - lol.

i haven't really seen any difference between work problems in the two different areas (union vs non-union) based on issues that surface on an.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

Yes, I worked and lived in the South for a long time and have a license to work in several States in the South to include Texas. I notice and experienced (rather then just reading on AN) a huge difference between union based hospitals and non-unions based hopsitals especially in States outside of "Right-to-work" States. If unions were allowed (we both know that they really are not because the culture in the South is so anti-union), the "Right-to-work" laws that are anti-labor/anti-American worker would change to actually protect the rights of human beings. Instead "Right-to-work" laws only protect corporations. As for union nurses on AN who complain about working conditions; at least they have the right to complain, make changes, and keep his/her job. That is not the case for non-union nurses in the South.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

Yes, I worked and lived in the South for a long time and have a license to work in several States in the South to include Texas. I notice and experienced (rather then just reading on AN) a huge difference between union based hospitals and non-unions based hopsitals especially in States outside of "Right-to-work" States. If unions were allowed (we both know that they really are not because the culture in the South is so anti-union), the "Right-to-work" laws that are anti-labor/anti-American worker would change to actually protect the rights of human beings. Instead "Right-to-work" laws only protect corporations. As for union nurses on AN who complain about working conditions; at least they have the right to complain, make changes, and keep his/her job. That is not the case for non-union nurses in the South.

BYW, I was not calling nurses in Texas, Texan on purpose because they are not all Texan. I know many who moved there and travel there to work that are not and never wish to be considered Texan.

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

One year after NNOC first election, contract was still not signed, so nurses voted them out of this HCA owned facility.Many RN's are unaware that first contracts may take that long to occur.Key union vote at Valley hospital takes place - Rio Grande GuardianValley hospital nurses[/i] vote to decertify union - Rio Grande Guardian

It was actually 2 years. The original vote was May 2010.

[CaptKris]

As someone who likes to see how the unions work in a public environment, I find it hard to believe that, if unions wish to keep prospering, they expect workers to vote for them then wait years for the benefits. In the information age, nothing takes years to accomplish especially if it's been done before. This isn't NASA trying to land a geo metro on the mars, this is an employment contract for staff. One could argue that if any dues were paid during this process they were paid under fraudulent terms and as a measure of good faith from the NNOC should be returned in full as it seems nothing was accomplished by the union on the behalf of the worker, even something as simple as a basic employment contract. I'm sure the union had alot of motion going on but at the end of the day, what is accomplished is what counts. In the end, better luck next time for the Pro-Unioners. The only thing worse than being defeated in a vote, is winning the vote and then getting nothing done over 700 days.

[Mindful, RN]

... It takes two to tango !