Union vs Non-Union

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I am about to graduate nursing school this spring and I am contemplating moving and working for a hospital that is unionized. I come from a right to work state so unions have no power here. I have heard both good and bad things about working with a union. I have heard that union hospitals have better benefits and wages but I also hear that you end up paying all of the benefits back to the union in fees and duties.

Can anyone tell me their experiences working with a union vs non-union? Thanks and I wish you all the best!

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Specializes in Hospice.

Have you checked out the forum on collective bargaining?

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

There are two major hospitals in my area. One is union, one is not. The non-union hospital has higher wages and lower nurse-patient ratios than the union hospital.

IMO, you want to look at the facility first, not the union/non-union issue.

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I have worked in both Union and non-Union facilities. I have found that benefits are about the same cost wise, pay is higher in bargaining hospitals. (in my experience, a lot higher) Nurses in Union facilities often have a nursing vs hospital attitude which gets old after awhile. Unions protect really lousy nurses who should have been fired years ago. On the flip side Unions insure you as a nurse against malpractice and represent you when there is an issue. When it comes down to finding a place to work I rank Unionized ahead of non-unionized. Union dues are tax deductable and usually under 1000 per year while pay can be 20 K higher in some situations over other area hospitals.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

The benefits I get from my union dues massively outweigh the dues in my case. I work in a union hospital and there are things I don't like about it - the "Us vs. Them" mentality is a bit overboard sometimes and nurses who are willfully noncompliant are difficult to fire.

The benefits on the other hand - collective bargaining, protection from summary firing, compensation, etc are very much worth the downsides.

While union dues are potentially tax deductible, the income ceiling is very low. I have always made far too much to deduct them.

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