Unionized nursing?

Sorry if this has been discussed, ad nauseum, before but couldn't find a newer thread. . .

Spoke with a coworker who told of her positive experiences with nursing unions, most recently in Hawaii. My exposure years ago (with machinists union) was also positive and the union clearly had its place. With what many of us feel are unsafe nurse to patient ratios and a skyrocketing cost of living index here in the Florida panhandle exceeding nursing pay, I was looking for feedback of others, primarily here in Florida.

Are any hospitals in Florida unionized for nursing?

The outcomes of grievances and pay due to union intervention?

How did the union come to organize your particular area?

Thanks

PHM

I found this site and think I will join it. Here is the link:

http://www.nursingworld.org/uan/nursesorganize.htm

Hope this helps!!

Thanks for the inputs. Guess the Hawaii thing was (and is) still a mess and I'm sorry to hear that. Hope it all works out in the end.

Guess it's the type of union that represents you. My previous experience has been with the Int'l Assn of Aerospace Workers many years ago and one of the Longshoreman's unions in Bayonne, NJ even before that. Both were (and may still be) powerhouses in negotiations and represented us well at the time.

I'm relatively new to nursing (retired USAF officer), and am personally more concerned about the nurse/patient ratios and horrible staffing snafus than I am about pay and benefits. Am honestly surprised that unionization is not more widespread, but based on what you've revealed in Hawaii, there indeed may be a good reason. . . . and also a good reason why nursing suffers such a high "burnout" rate.

Again, thanks to all of you.

Cheers,

Phil

Positive union experience in Hawaii? You mean the strike 2 years ago when the union told members that the hospitals would give in in a few days. 5 weeks later they were still on strike.

http://starbulletin.com/2003/10/24/business/story3.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/industries/health_care/hospitals/2005/01/31/pacific_daily3.html

Lot's of positive experience, huh?