nursing unions

CRNA2007 · Aug 28, 2008

More pay less work and a lower standard for all. Atleast at Kaiser Oakland.

I work at a midwest public hospital, and we are considering a union. However, I have been picked to gather information. So could anyone tell me their experience with a union? I need to know which union, pros, and cons. Any help would be great.

PICNICRN, BSN, RN · Aug 28, 2008

I did work at a County Hospital out west that was union- I found it to be pretty nice actually. Great staffing ratios, ALWAYS got our breaks, best pay in the city, very low turnover. I found that the patients got great care because of the staffing requirements- there were more nurses/aids/RTs ect to care for the patients. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all sunshine- but I felt like if you did have a true gripe- you had someone to back you up.

I'd still be working there if I didn't move.

oregonchinamom · Aug 28, 2008

I have worked for a union hospital for the last 2 years after working in a non union hospital for 13. The hospital I currently work for is larger and in a larger community. The nurses here are paid lower, and have less benefits. I have found that, at this hospital anyway, the union has promoted mediocrity and a lower standard of patient care. For instance, the union got a nurse his job back after he taped a patient's mouth shut to keep her quiet with the excuse that he was under stress at home.

My previous hospital went union shortly after I left. They now regret it. As with many nursing staffs, the nurses were promised the moon by the "advance guard" the union sent---who you never see again after the union is voted in. What the nurses really wanted of course, was better staffing. This is not something a union can give you. Unions have no control over staffing, nor can they magically produce more nurses to apply for your open positions.

I admittedly, have not had a great experience with this union, but no matter what they promise you, there are only 2 things that any union can absolutely guarantee. One is that you will pay the dues and two is that you can no longer negotiate for yourself.

If you work for a hospital that has serious problems that cannot be solved by better staffing, then I may think about it, otherwise, I would say no.

dizzier80 · Aug 28, 2008

thanks for the reply. could you tell me which union it was? are they available all over the country?

dizzier80 · Aug 28, 2008

thanks for the reply. could you tell me which union, and do they cover rn's all over the country?

dizzier80 · Aug 28, 2008

thanks for the reply. could you tell me which union/s, and do they cover rn's all over the country?

lpnflorida · Aug 28, 2008

At the former hospital I worked at it was a so called closed shop union. Meaning everyone had to belong unless it was against your religion or something .In that case they still paid what would have been union dues toward a specific charity instead. The RN'S were represented by the Minnesota ANA as their bargaining unit. The LPNs by the Minnesota LPN association, the aides and other people in the hospital I think that was a retail clerks union . The Teamsters represented some of the hospitals in Wisconsin.

Now after having worked in a union hospital for 20 years and a nonunion hospital for over 9 years. I have good feelings about both. There were some protection the union gave us which I no longer have. I can say being nonunion I have received higher raises based on merit than I did with the former contracted union wages where everyone got the same raise no matter their performance. The union also protected peoples jobs so well that people who probably should have been fired for under performance never were.

Good luck

lindarn · Aug 28, 2008

I have worked for a union hospital for the last 2 years after working in a non union hospital for 13. The hospital I currently work for is larger and in a larger community. The nurses here are paid lower, and have less benefits. I have found that, at this hospital anyway, the union has promoted mediocrity and a lower standard of patient care. For instance, the union got a nurse his job back after he taped a patient's mouth shut to keep her quiet with the excuse that he was under stress at home.
My previous hospital went union shortly after I left. They now regret it. As with many nursing staffs, the nurses were promised the moon by the "advance guard" the union sent---who you never see again after the union is voted in. What the nurses really wanted of course, was better staffing. This is not something a union can give you. Unions have no control over staffing, nor can they magically produce more nurses to apply for your open positions.
I admittedly, have not had a great experience with this union, but no matter what they promise you, there are only 2 things that any union can absolutely guarantee. One is that you will pay the dues and two is that you can no longer negotiate for yourself.
If you work for a hospital that has serious problems that cannot be solved by better staffing, then I may think about it, otherwise, I would say no.

I beg to differ with you concerning you statement, "a union can't get you better staffing or make nurses appear to apply for open positions". California Nurses Association pushed for and got, staffing ratios in California.The staffing ratios have encouraged thousands of nurses, who had left bedside nursing, to come back to work. Nurse from all over the country have moved to California to work because if the staffing ratios, and much higher pay and benefits.

So, yes, a uniion CAN get you better stafffing, pay, and benefits. What CNA did was provide an atmosphere where nurses were encouraged to not only join the union, but ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE in the day to day workings. Too many nurses feel that once they join a union, "SOMEONE ELSE" WILL DO THE DIRTY WORK OF KEEPING IT GOING. The union is EVERYONE. If everyone does not support and contribute, the union will fail.

I have seen countless times on this listserve, where nurses have voted out a union, because they said that the "union didn't do anything". The union cannot do everything without the participation of its members. Management, of course, discourages union members from participating in union activities to discourage members from actively contributing to its workings. This leads to apathy and failure of the union to do what its members planned for it to do. And no, you cannot negotiate for the things that a union can and will. There is power and safety in numbers.

If you want a union, but don't plan on contributing, don't complain when them changes you anticipated do not appear. JMHO, and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

dizzier80 · Aug 29, 2008

One big problem in our hospital is the unfair policies re: holidays and vacation time. Also, our raises are based on (I'm sorry to say) peer review which is very unfair and subjective. Other many smaller problems, but you can see where I'm coming from.