NYC: To Join a Union or NOT?

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Specializes in ICU, Cardiac Cath/EPS Labs.

Hi everybody,

I know there's been much discussion on the site re: the theoretical benefits/costs of Unionizing, but I was wondering if I might ask for some very practical advice re: dollars and cents: I'll be graduating this month (god-willing) and plan to take (and pass!) the NCLEX in early Sept (already had my application to NY BON months ago), but am doing research on Manhattan hospitals and am surprised to find what appear to be FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT difference in pay & benefits between Union v. Non-Union RN workforces. Could someone please confirm/deny what I seem to be finding:

1) About 30+ NYC area hosiptals have NYSNA RN-workforces where the RNs pay zero for medical premiums (but have only "HealthNet" MD choices + costlier out-of-network), pay zero for a defined-BENEFIT pension (which after 25+ years at ANY ONE OR MORE of the 30+ hospitals could easily reach $30K/year retirement), and pay zero for $50K life insurance.

2) Non-Union Manhattan Hospitals (Sloan-Kettering, Hospital for Special Surgery, NYU) pay similar salaries, but have NO pension, but DO have better health benefits, e.g., wider-selection of "in-network" primary care doctors).

3) NYC Hospitals (a separate Union than NYSNA?) have lower pay and sometimes difficult working conditions, but an even better pension after the recently-enacted contract (supposed to mirror police/fire ability to retire well after 20 years).

Unfortunately, my Nursing School offers no formal Career Planning, so we students are stuck doing research ourselves and the individual hospitals of course have a bias in how they present the costs/benefits of Union v. Non-Union v. NYC-Union jobs. Thanks for any advice. [i'm also going to post this in the NY thread in case they miss it here.]

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Some times it is better doing your own reseach then depending on your school for career counciling. You are on the right track with your comparisons. Although compensation should be a major concern for any RN seeking employment. I would be looking at what employer would would give me the best working conditions, clinical expirience, educational opportunites, etc. especially in my first RN position. I would look for example at nurse to patient ratios, would attenmpt to get copy of union contracts for the hospital I was interested in and compare all the features of the contract not just the economic ones.

Good Luck

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Specializes in ICU, Cardiac Cath/EPS Labs.
Some times it is better doing your own reseach then depending on your school for career counciling. You are on the right track with your comparisons. Although compensation should be a major concern for any RN seeking employment. I would be looking at what employer would would give me the best working conditions, clinical expirience, educational opportunites, etc. especially in my first RN position. I would look for example at nurse to patient ratios, would attenmpt to get copy of union contracts for the hospital I was interested in and compare all the features of the contract not just the economic ones.

Good Luck

Thanks--good advice; after I posted I realized I still had only touched the "tip of the iceberg," as NYC also has VA (i.e., federally-run) and state-run hospitals. Thanks to a forum like allnurses, we can more easily compare and contrast BEFORE starting/switching jobs ;)

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Hi everybody,

I know there's been much discussion on the site re: the theoretical benefits/costs of Unionizing, but I was wondering if I might ask for some very practical advice re: dollars and cents: I'll be graduating this month (god-willing) and plan to take (and pass!) the NCLEX in early Sept (already had my application to NY BON months ago), but am doing research on Manhattan hospitals and am surprised to find what appear to be FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT difference in pay & benefits between Union v. Non-Union RN workforces. Could someone please confirm/deny what I seem to be finding:

1) About 30+ NYC area hosiptals have NYSNA RN-workforces where the RNs pay zero for medical premiums (but have only "HealthNet" MD choices + costlier out-of-network), pay zero for a defined-BENEFIT pension (which after 25+ years at ANY ONE OR MORE of the 30+ hospitals could easily reach $30K/year retirement), and pay zero for $50K life insurance.

2) Non-Union Manhattan Hospitals (Sloan-Kettering, Hospital for Special Surgery, NYU) pay similar salaries, but have NO pension, but DO have better health benefits, e.g., wider-selection of "in-network" primary care doctors).

3) NYC Hospitals (a separate Union than NYSNA?) have lower pay and sometimes difficult working conditions, but an even better pension after the recently-enacted contract (supposed to mirror police/fire ability to retire well after 20 years).

Unfortunately, my Nursing School offers no formal Career Planning, so we students are stuck doing research ourselves and the individual hospitals of course have a bias in how they present the costs/benefits of Union v. Non-Union v. NYC-Union jobs. Thanks for any advice. [i'm also going to post this in the NY thread in case they miss it here.]

my wife will be looking for an RN job in NYC in about six months. Did you ever have any luck finding cxopies of contracts? She really would prefer to work union and is looking for wage tables (especialy NICU0.

Thanks

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I was wondering if anyone had copies of their NYSNA contracts. My wife is looking for a NICU RN position in the next six months or so in NYC. We already found the 1199 SEIU ones on line.

Thanks

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Specializes in ICU, Cardiac Cath/EPS Labs.
I was wondering if anyone had copies of their NYSNA contracts. My wife is looking for a NICU RN position in the next six months or so in NYC. We already found the 1199 SEIU ones on line.

Thanks

Yes, my contract at NY Methodist is available on-line with a password...if you message me with your e-mail address, I will try to e-mail you a copy or I can at least tell you what she would start at given her years of experience, specialty certifications, degrees, etc....Welcome to the Big Apple!:welcome: P.S. Check out the following and other related threads in the NEW York State Forum https://allnurses.com/forums/f164/name-hospital-its-starting-salary-184662-7.html
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thank you so much for the password offer, it seems to be the only way to get copies of the NYSNA contracts. You would think they would be public info.

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we are just having a real hard time finding copies of NYSNA contracts so my wife knows where to apply for jobs before we move. Anyonhe who knows where they can be found gets a free lunch on us!

I have already found all the 199 seiu contracts on line.

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Specializes in ICU, Cardiac Cath/EPS Labs.
thank you so much for the password offer, it seems to be the only way to get copies of the NYSNA contracts. You would think they would be public info.

Hi, I've been working three 12-hour shifts since I last posted here (by choice--I like that schedule!) and am now on a brief vacation without my home computer, but I'll try sending you the contract--if I don't get it to you now, perhaps over the next week....

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Specializes in Critical Care.
...My wifes email is ...

If I may make I suggestion, you may wish to edit your post to remove the email address, and request that the poster who quoted you do the same. Spammers have automated programs ("robots") that scour the internet for email addresses to

to add to spam mailing lists, which they also sell to more spammers. Posting the address in a public area like this will result in an increase in her spam. Instead, use the private messaging feature to send the email address just to the intended individual.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

:offtopic: Email edited for internet safety....

Contracts are often not made public so compeeting union doen't have access to "inside info". Also prevents hurt feelings between locals if one local manages to get better deal negotiatied...so my union colleagues have stated.

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New York State Nurses Association is corrupt.

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