Previous union experience, + or - ?

[Cherry2000]

I used to work in the auto industry and was an active member in my union. I learned a lot while I was doing it, mainly leadership skills and how to handle difficult people/situations. I think that I benefitted from it a lot. BUT how do hospitals feel about something like that? Should I bring in up in an interview? I want to because it shows that I have experience working with a variety of people (especially difficult people!!) but at the same time I don't want to lose an opportunity because the hospital (or whatever) does not want to deal that kind of thing.... I would like to add that I got very burnt out by the whole situation and really have no desire to be active in another union...but that isn't something that I could really say in an interview that they would believe anyway. Do you think that this kind of experience can hurt me in terms of getting a job offer? TIA

[suanna]

There is no way I would ever tell them I was ACTIVE in the union. There are hospitals around here that will not even give you an interview if you have come from a union job- nursing or not. The less said about the union the better.

[Cherry2000]

I'm just starting nursing school in the fall and I had applied for a patient care assistant position at a local hospital. I have no clue if the hospitals around here are unionized or not.... But I brought it up in the interview because of the leadership skills that I learned...dealing with various types of people/cultures, working with management, problem solving skills...that kind of thing. Which, other than that, I don't have any experience with. I was on our executive board for about 2 years and a steward before that....so I brought it up so I could talk about how I would deal with difficult patients/families etc. I do not have any experience with patient care. The person that interviewed me didn't seem to care, but after I questioned myself about it. And I never got a response back from the interview even though we went through my schedule and the whole thing to see what kind of hours I would work (at her request, not mine). So....how do I bring up my experience, without bringing up my work with the union?