Scripps Encinitas first decertification campaign last summer was unsuccessful on the surface. Perseverance paid off as the nurses in favor of decertification continued their campaign. The CNA in their attempt to head off this growing wave of discontent for unionization only stumbled, angering and alienating what few supporters they had left.
Seeing that they might lose a decertification for the first time in many, many years the CNA decided to accept Scripps managements first offer, the offer that they proposed to the nurses before the initial vote to unionize. The CNA negotiated nothing for the Scripps nurses. All the hard feelings, all the lost friendships all that anger for nothing.
It must be noted that in the CNA managed election last week, the ballots had two choices:
1. Yes, accept the contract.
2. No, do not accept the contract and strike
So, the nurses decided by 75% not to strike. The CNA did not give them a choice not to accept the contract and NOT strike.
Why not that third choice?
In the end the the professional nurses of Scripps Encinitas won big and the CNA must count this as a dismal failure on their part. Scripps Encinitas is an open shop. No union security clause! The nurses do not have to become union members and they do not have to pay dues. There is a no strike clause for two years. The decertification drive continues.
Congratulations Scripps Encinitas!
This is deserving of it's own thread. For further review check out this thread
The only reason those nurses didn't get all of their raises 18 months earlier, was because of the union. Had CNA not been there they would have had their raises long ago, but once there is an elected representative, the law says they have to agree first...it's just plain sad to me, but if your perspective is that the union did good things...I guess we're just looking from different orientations. I see the union "in the way" and you give them all the credit for anything that you percieve to be "good"...WOW
Just out of curiousity, how do you know management was going to give them raises without the union? The reason the RN's voted for the the union in the first place was because many of the RN's were unhappy with the pay situation. That's pretty much the main reason any RN's vote for a union because management won't budge on pay issues.
CNA has negotiated better contracts and I do think they could have done better here. But, they also have a lot of opposition at this facility, which tends to weaken their negotiating power. I'm surprized they got anything, really, with all of the turmoil there.
Just out of curiousity, how do you know management was going to give them raises without the union? The reason the RN's voted for the the union in the first place was because many of the RN's were unhappy with the pay situation. That's pretty much the main reason any RN's vote for a union because management won't budge on pay issues.
This paragraph is from the article:
"Scripps Encinitas spokeswoman Julie Lee said the new contract would provide for nurses at the hospital to earn the same pay as non-unionized nurses earn at other Scripps medical facilities in the county."
Scripps Encinitas had already given raises at their non-union facilities. It seems reasonable to believe they would have given them here as well. It would be nice if we could get some inside information on what held up the negotiations but I doubt that will happen.
The new contract did give the nurses the right to force staffing issues to be arbitrated should they disagree with the hospital's assessment. It also resulted in 2 one day strikes followed by 3 day lockouts. I can't speak for others but it would be tough on my household if I lost 8 days of pay.
Scripps Encinitas had already given raises at their non-union facilities. It seems reasonable to believe they would have given them here as well.
Well, the articles that were published at the time the union was first voted in clearly stated that the RN's were unhappy with pay. If management was so generous with raises, why vote the union in the first place?
I wouldn't be surprized if, after the union was voted in, management did give some raises to try to keep the union out of their other facilities. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that's happened. Management has been known to give raises when there's a union threat but, after that, they go back to the status quo.
Open Shop...............Open Mind...............No one taking your money to tell you what to say or do. No one giving part of your dues money to support candidates or causes you don't support. No one telling you that you can't work if there is a strike........
Open Shop..............Open Mind. Your own mind. Your own voice.
Simple. How simple. How American. Using your own voice to make your own choice.......Now that's America!!!!
:yelclap: :yelclap: Good for the nurses at Encinitas who would not back down.
Sheri257
3,905 Posts
Just out of curiousity, how do you know management was going to give them raises without the union? The reason the RN's voted for the the union in the first place was because many of the RN's were unhappy with the pay situation. That's pretty much the main reason any RN's vote for a union because management won't budge on pay issues.
CNA has negotiated better contracts and I do think they could have done better here. But, they also have a lot of opposition at this facility, which tends to weaken their negotiating power. I'm surprized they got anything, really, with all of the turmoil there.
:typing