"Just the good old Boys"

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All the nurses at our hospital received a letter from our hospital CEO and Vice CEO concering the California Nurses Association/National Nurse Organization Committee.

The letter went mostly like this:

Re: Union Organizers

My Fellow Providence Associates:

Recently, many RNs at Providence Hospital, along with RNs at other hospitals throughout Alabama have been receiving mailers from the California Nurses Association/National Nurse Organization Committee requesting to organize RNs for "collective bargaining." The mailer includes a form for RNs to complete and return to the National Nurse Organization Committee for their union to represent you. Their mass mailings are going out throughout the country.

Providence Hospital wants to let you know the importance of the form or "union authorization card" ...By signing this form, you are agreeing that you want to be represented by the California Nurses Association. This form is not for getting more information about this Union.

A California Nurses Association paid professional salesman, called a "union organizer" or even possible one of your co-workers who has "volunteered" to work for the union, may approach you and ask you to sign a form or union authroization card.

Yoy cannot be pressured for forced to sign a union card. If anyone pressures you to sign a union card against your will, please call HR...or inform you manager. We will see that it is stopped. Remember, you should not sign a union card just to get the person to leave you alone.

....We will continue to work together to imporve the hospital and the care that is given to our patients. We feel this is best achieved through open and direct communication between us that consistant with our values and cultural transformation.....

I WAS HIGHLY INSULTED THAT OUR GOOD OLD BOY NETWORK WOULD THINK NURSES CANNOT MAKE BASIC DECISIONS CONCERNING A UNION. UNIONS IN THE SOUTH ARE SO MUCH NEEDED. THE HOSPITAL LIVES IN THE DARK AGES WHEN IT COMES TO THE WELL BEING OF NURSES GIVING PATIENT CARE.

I HAVE WORKED IN CALIFORNIA AND IT WAS MY EXPERIENCE THAT CALIFORNIA IS ON THE BALL WHEN IT COMES TO NURSE/PATIENT RATIO, MY EXPERIENCE WAS WONDERFUL. THE OLD SAYING 'A FROG THAT LIVES IN A WELL CANNOT TELL YOU ABOUT THE OCEAN" IS SO TRUE IN THIS CASE.

MOST NURSES AT WORKED PUT THE ''LETTER" IN FILE-13, AND MADE COMMENTS OF HOW OUT OF TOUCH THE CEO/HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION IS..

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CEO/HOSPITAL IS UP TOO?

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it's pretty obvious the hosp doesn't want you to unionize.

go for it.

leslie

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That type of letter from your employer is a standard administration tactic when there is a question of workers organizing. Your hospital administration is not "out of touch" -- they are doing what all hospital administrators do in this type of situation.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I wonder when I will see that letter in Michigan. And why are people from SEIU making accounts on this site? Two people so far have and are posting about Ohio and the CNA? Am I missing something?

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What is SEIU?

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele, Hem/Onc, BMT.

sorry i was trying to add to that post....

nurses around the country have been getting letters like the one you received. that is just one example of the extremes a hospital will go to to prevent you and your co-workers from joining together. my favorite quote on this is:

the power of the oppressor lies within the mind of the oppressed

once you recognize this you can overcome the fear that is intended to prevent you from acting!

i have been doing a lot of research on collective intimidation and it's psychological effects.

i believe it is time to expose this for what it is- abuse and disrespect.

recently, in ohio nurses who are members of nnoc have been retaliated against for testifying at a government hearing in opposition to industry sponsored staffing legislation. nurses have the attitude of "what do you expect" but others government officials and lay people are outraged! this demonstrates that nurses are victims of oppressions as a profession. so much so that we do not feel that we have the fundamental right of free speech as other americans.

here are some other ways your hospital is "keeping you down".

telling you you need to "manage your time" because you are not able to take a lunch break

holding conferences like this one:

http://ohanet.org/labor/attachments/...%20program.pdf

have you heard of kentucky river? anyone had a recent change in their job description or duties? get paid a dollar an hour for taking charge duty (that everyone must do)? have to review the charting of your peers? this is all done so that you are ineligible to vote in a union election

where uncertainty exists as to whether certain members of an employer’s management structure are “supervisors” under section 2(11), consider granting such individuals additional responsibilities and reward them or discipline them if they fail to meet the objectives and responsibilities they are assigned.

http://www.jonesday.com/pubs/pubs_detail.aspx?pubid=s3798

it is time to stop the intimidation!

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

Its just too bad that in this day and age, hospital administrators want to keep the nursing profession down and not allow nurses to organize a non-employer approved union.

I have yet to hear about any unionization of michigan hospitals. If one organized at my hospital, I would join. We deserve to be treated fairly.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

we all received a letter just like that a couple of weeks ago. the hospital is obviously scared that we'll want to unionize. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.
we all received a letter just like that a couple of weeks ago. the hospital is obviously scared that we'll want to unionize. :rolleyes:

they should be scared.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

Nurses in the UK are actively encouraged by our hospitals to be a member of a union, and as a nurse manager if I find out any of the nurses I work with are not I encourage them to join. For all HR matters and meetings from sickness to disciplinary the standard letters invite union representation.

I can only imagine the outcry if our hospital trusts took the approach you mention. :no:

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Here'a another reason for the letters that nurses seem to be getting all over the country from their administrators:

There is an enormous industry in this country that most people never see. They like to go by names like "labor/management consultants" or "union avoidance consultants". People in the labor movement call them union busters. It is a highly sophisticated industry that sucks hundreds of millions of dollars out of the economy every year for the service of helping employers beat back union organizing drives.

Of course these folks have to drum up business, and one of the main ways they market their services is to scare employers. So all those hospital admininsrators have been getting letters from the union busters telling them that CNA/NNOC is organizing in their area and that they better watch out. They give them examples of what that has meant in California - higher wages, better benefits and staffing ratio laws. Then they offer their services to help make sure it doesn't happen in your hospital.

Our relatively small hospital - 460 nurses at the time - spent 1.2 million on just the fees to one of those companies, plus probably at least as much more in managers' time, printing costs etc to try to stop our organizing.

Didn't work, but those companies are the biggest reason that only about 12% of American workers are in unions, even though 60% say they would like to join one.

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