Unions

Nurses Union

Published

  1. Are you a member of a nursing union?

    • 57
      Yes, and proud of it
    • 10
      Yes, but I hide the fact
    • 123
      No

190 members have participated

I was just wondering peoples views on Unions, from reading other posts I got the inpression that unions are not a standard thing. One of my lectures this semester was two of the big nursing unions came in and gave us informations, so we could join. They are even willing to cover us as students.

What does everyone else think about unions?

Specializes in Pediatric Rehabilitation.

Thanks Jenny. I was just a bit ;) defensive, and shot my canon at you before I realized you weren't the 'enemy'.

You're right, you are normally rational and fair.

Hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas!!

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Specializes in Assisted Living.

Several years ago our LTC facility voted in a union by a very narrow margin (4 votes). This union was to represent housekeeping, dietary, maintenance, office & nursing departments (CNA's & LPN's only). Because negotiations were stalled for 2 years (the company spent bazillions on union-busting lawyers & fired most of the staff that were sympathetic to the union) we eventually voted the union out.

After reading this BB & various healthcare union pages, I haven't found a nurses union that represents LPN's. I don't want to get into a discussion about the differences between RN's & LPN's . . . it's all been said before! I just wondered if there was a union that represents nurses . . . period!

There are numerous reasons why I think a union would benefit our nursing home & nursing staff at this time. This is something I would like to look into, so if anyone has suggestions or recommendations I'm open to them.

By the way, I voted against the union in our facility the last time. Also, my husband has been a member of the Plumbers & Pipefitters union for 30 years, so I guess you could say a union helped support me & put me through nursing school. For that I am grateful!

Nance:)

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LPNs here are in their own union separate from RNs.

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Specializes in Assisted Living.

Well Fergus, I kind of thought that's how it was, though I'm still curious about how LPN's find a union that doesn't include housekeepers, dietary, maintenance, etc. Nurses have their own issues that need addressed apart from these other departments. I'm afraid nursings concerns would get lost in the shuffle and about all we would be good for is what we could contribute to the unions coffers! Any suggestions?

Nance

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Someone posted a link to the LPN association. I am sure they would have more info on this.

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I know that the sate of New York has been a very pro union state. But there are many states who have not had that luxury. I too belong to a "service employee union" would not trade it for the world. We picked this union so that we could get all the employees in the same union , same local so that we may have a very strong voice in our hospital. The thing people forget is that the nurses are the union. It does not matter the name fo the union, what matters is that the members stand together and actively fight for what they want to achieve. It takes all the nurses to make changes. The problems are that we still have alot of apathy in the profession. We need nurses to to be activist, especially in this day and age when working conditions continue to deteriorate and nurses are leaving the acute care field. The only way we are going to make the changes is a strong solidarity of nurses as a whole. So unless you like working in dangerous conditions and risking your license on the floors, I say get involved. Do you realize if all the nurses would stand together and fight for our causes, we would not need unions, but that day is a way off and so we need the unions to help us get started. So I say lets get a fire lighted and keep it burning in order to save our profession.

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Current federal labor law requires that LPN and RNs be in separate bargaining units. After several court cases and subsequent rulings there are five separate bargainng units in health care. If my memory serves they are as follows.1) MDs, 2)RNs, 3) other health professional (PT,OT,etc.) ,4)LPNs and technicians, 5) clerical/office, and maintenance which includes trades, housekeeping and dietary.

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Yes, there are different bargaining units for various workers in the hospital, but if you work together as a whole, you can work on issues as for the whole hospital:ie;retirement,medical and etc. Then each barganing unit works on the issues that are important to them. We have it where all the contracts expire about the same time. So now the whole hospital is together when it comes to bargaining. There is power in numbers.

Just remember, we are the union and it is what we make it!

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I live and work in Va. We have no nurses unions. I was always told that it is illegal in our state to have one. And if for some reason you walk off the job site because you put patients in danger then you are fired. It would be nice to have a union so that your employers could not take advantage of you.

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Specializes in Assisted Living.

jerbear, you've been really helpful to me with your recent posts. Your explanation of service employee's unions & the different bargaining units has cleared a few things up for me.

When our LTC employees tried to get a union to represent them a few years ago, our parent company put in a lot of time & effort to "protect us" from the union message. I've checked out this union's website & have concluded that our facility desperately needs union representation!

If anyone is interested in the progress of my efforts to improve conditions at my job, I'll be periodically posting updates. I look forward to comments, pro & con, regarding union representation of nurses. Nance;)

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Originally posted by thisnurse

i think it all depends on the union. i know that one of our sister hospitals is union, but its the service workers union, same as in grocery stores.

why bother?

there are more nurses quitting at that facility than the non union ones. there arent that many union hospitals in pittsburgh but i think that is going to change.

we need ONE union with state chapters and speak with ONE VOICE.

maybe we need to study what the teachers did years ago...we could take a lesson from them.

I totally agree with the last part of your statement. If nurses want better treatment and wages... they need One Union and One voice. United we stand divided we fall.... we have no union in my town in Pa. They tried to get in but other people at the hospital (the CEO's) made the nurses believe all they would do was make them pay union dues and make less money. Hit them in the pocketbook. Falsified is what I felt they did. My husband is in an electrical workers union ( a large national union) and I thank goodness for that. Vicki, RN wish nurses would come together...:o I would just like to add.... I would not strike for better treatment or wages and put clients at risk or leave them without care (or at the mercy of just doctors)!!!! Union or not.

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Originally posted by jerbear6

I know that the sate of New York has been a very pro union state. But there are many states who have not had that luxury. I too belong to a "service employee union" would not trade it for the world. We picked this union so that we could get all the employees in the same union , same local so that we may have a very strong voice in our hospital. The thing people forget is that the nurses are the union. It does not matter the name fo the union, what matters is that the members stand together and actively fight for what they want to achieve. It takes all the nurses to make changes. The problems are that we still have alot of apathy in the profession. We need nurses to to be activist, especially in this day and age when working conditions continue to deteriorate and nurses are leaving the acute care field. The only way we are going to make the changes is a strong solidarity of nurses as a whole. So unless you like working in dangerous conditions and risking your license on the floors, I say get involved. Do you realize if all the nurses would stand together and fight for our causes, we would not need unions, but that day is a way off and so we need the unions to help us get started. So I say lets get a fire lighted and keep it burning in order to save our profession.

Sounds so easy. How do you get millions of nurses together to unionize when they are all working long hard rediculous hours? And how do you find your way through all the red tape and different laws? And how do you even go about getting union representation for nurses? These are all questions nurses need to know to even start to become united. Find me the answers and I'll get fired up with ya. I would love to see a united stand among nurses with one voice to represent them but how and where to start and where to find the time... Vicki RN

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