So how common are nursing Unions?

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 1, 2003

They are all over WA State, that much I know.

-jt · Sep 1, 2003

Theres 2.7 million RNs licensed in the US. About 500,000 of them arent working in nursing at all. Of the remaining nurses who are still working, about 1.something million are working at the bedsides. More than half a million of them are members of unions. Over 100,000 of those are members of RN-only unions.

27 states & DC have RN-only unions. The others have trade service unions (like the teachers union) with a division for nurses & healthcare workers. I dont think there is one state that has absolutely no nurses in unions. There are even unionized nurses in parts of Texas, Georgia, Florida & other states in the South.

onewhocares · Sep 1, 2003

originally posted by -jt >

-jt...I am also in Va and have been told by more than one instructor, that Va is a "no nurse union state". If someone knows why Va doesn't have nurse unions, that would be great to know.

This board is the first time I ever heard about nurse unions and I would like to know nurse union names and which states have them.

Here in Va, I guess we are at a loss, not being able to compare local union and nonunion conditions. Does having unions make things better? Well...I have no idea, as nurse unions don't exist in Va.

VaMedic...I share your interest for info. on nurse unions.

VaMedic · Sep 1, 2003

I was told that since we are a Right To Work State (also right to get fired) that Unions are discourged. I work for Sentara and even without a Union, things are pretty good. Good pay, benifits, great ways to channel you complaints or problems.

RW

glascow · Sep 2, 2003

I'm in Louisiana, and there are no nursing unions in this state.

I think some of the state medical facilities have unions for nurses, but, they are not strong unions.

allnurses Guide · Sep 2, 2003

I belong to our union, in New Mexico. Doubt very much I would still be at this hospital if there wasn't a union here. We were on strike in the 80's. It's now a pretty good place to work, many of our travelers speak highly of us compared to other hospitals they have worked at in the past. Only time it's rough is during negotiations when some administrator decides to put "union-buster" on a resume. :rolleyes:

Genista, BSN, RN · Sep 2, 2003

There is a strong union presence in CA as well.

California Nurses Assoc. (CNA) is a biggie here.

http://www.calnurse.org/

-jt · Sep 3, 2003

There is no such thing. It's a federal right of workers, including nurses, in every state to organize and join whichever union they want to be part of. It should be an easy thing to do if the workers decide to do it. But the problem is that laws which give workers this right have no teeth. Federal labor laws & right to work states have laws that favor the employer & allow him to bust the efforts of workers who are trying to unionize. If nurses in VA or anywhere else want to be a union, they have a right to do so. But they will most likely have to fight to the finish to be able to do it. Unfortuantely, many succumb to the employers fearsome union-busting tactics and back down.

BTW, aren't nurses working in Kaiser Permanente facilities in Virgina part of a union?

I saw this in an editorial on geocities.com

"...In Virginia, where a courageous Nurse Practitioner of 25 years became so incensed at the disrespect and lack of dignity by administrators towards Professional Registered Nurses, that she decided to devote her remaining years to guiding Nurses into the safe harbor of Unions. And yet these administrators continue to fight against the right of Nurses to join unions. Is this democracy in America?..."

rileygrl11, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2003

Wish we had a union at a hospital near me in Ohio! We have several large hospitals close by but no unions :eek:

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2003

There is way too much emphasis on unionization. The best definition Ive ever heard of union was..... Its A dictatorhip of the mediocre.....

purplemania, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2003

I live in a right to work state and what that means to me is I am not forced to pay union dues. Period.