Unions: What's the big deal

StNeotser, ASN, RN · Aug 17, 2009

Try and go to lunch with a couple of put upon nurses who will tell you the evil of directors. Unfortunately they'll cancel on you because nurses don't go to lunch.

oramar · Aug 17, 2009

It is perilous to the big wigs for sure. You will make about 20 to 30% more, you pension and benefits will be better and they won't be able to fire at will without a hearing. Oh, I can see why it is such an evil thing from their perspective. I am a person in their 60s, my husband belonged to a union and has both a defined pension and a 401K retirement fund. We are sitting pretty, unlike non union people who only had 401K which have been sucked dry by a decade of bad stuff on wall street. People will write here and say they are in a union and it takes you money and does very little. Well I might have said that stuff 30 years ago but now I see the light.

Bobylon · Aug 17, 2009

You don't want to know my thoughts on unions .....seriously. Been there, done that, never again..... and that's all I'm a-gonna say :banghead:

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 17, 2009

i have worked in union hospitals and non-union hospitals, and if i had my choice, i'd be working in a union hospital right now.

unions ensure a fair contract for everyone. the contract can specify who floats to what unit and under what circumstances, the pay rate for overtime (hint: not everyone gets overtime pay for working overtime!), what holidays are paid and at what rate, the role of seniority in determining who goes to day shift, who gets christmas off, who gets their vacation time. transfers to another unit or gets specialized training. it has rules for management such as specifying that if you request vacation in the approved manner and it is granted, management cannot then attempt to cancel it because they've had a lot of resignations. it might specify an interview process for promotions, ensuring that the manager cannot get away with just hiring her friends, and it specifys a procedure for firing, ensuring that someone cannot be fired just because the charge nurse doesn't like them.

AmaurosisFugax · Aug 17, 2009

I have my reservations about unions, there is corruption, coercion & other problems. But, in our current atmosphere, with relatively high unemployment, at-will hiring, near-unlimited ability to hire people from developing countries, the deck is heavily weighed in favor of management. And they are not infallible, have their own problems, & if anything have less concern for the rights of employees. Unions at least bring some balance, albeit imperfect, in this equation. I read threads where managers were demanding nurses punch out for lunch but still work without pay, where management's ineptitude was blamed on nurses, where unfounded complaints led to suspension or termination. Why, b/c the nurse had no protection, & hey there is somebody very willing to accept those terms, if not in America then in India, Nigeria, Philippines you name it. (This is not an anti-immigrant statement, I myself an am immigrant & I know firsthand the fear & insecurity one faces when one's work permit is sponsored by the employer). And this is everywhere. Should not happen in the wealthiest country in the world.

miss81, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2009

I work for a union hospital and I have seen management try to get away with so many unbelievable things. But, our shop stewards are not long citing the contract violation. Our union works very hard and I believe for the good of nurses. We don't have this culture of "Don't take your break, but make sure you sign that you took it because you're not getting paid for it..." or "I'll just hire Suzie, that crapy nurse who also happens to be my bestfriend". We almost went on strike a few months ago, it got down to the wire! We were set to start our strike @ 0730 and @ 0530 a deal was struck! In the end the union and the employer made a deal that addressed nurses issues and kept the public save and well cared for! I have worked in a non-union hospital as well, I am glad that I have the members of my union willing to go to bat for me when I am treated unfairly!

JomoNurse · Aug 18, 2009

managements dislikes the unions so that's why you were told what you were told. first and foremost, union nurses make a lot more on average. the hospitals have no choice but to pay the higher wages or else it's strikey time! it also secures your job in the sense you can't just be fired for the hell of it.

CRNA2007 · Aug 19, 2009

Unions benefit the worthless employees the most. They make it difficuilt to fire the slackers. It's all about the money with unions don;t let union nurses try and say it's about patient care it's about the bottom dollar. I worked at a kaiser facility and there was trash on the floor, the aide for the ICU slept all night and all the nurses constantly talked about was working a double so the could get double time after 12 hours. All this talk on here about we have unions for patient safety is just talk.

nicurn001 · Aug 20, 2009

unions benefit the worthless employees the most.everyone thinks this until they are managements target du jour they make it difficuilt to fire the slackers.n.b.difficult . unions simply get management to follow the applicable laws , policy and contract clause ( they agreed to ) applicable to the grievance , you can't be fired because management has decided your too expensive or no longer drugged by the corporate cool aid it's all about the money with unions ( much the same as management )don;t let union nurses try and say it's about patient care it's about the bottom dollar does that mean your altruism extends to you not caring about such trivial things as your own financial well being. i worked at a kaiser facility and there was trash on the floor, the aide for the icu slept all night and all the nurses constantly talked about was working a double so the could get double time after 12 hours. all this talk on here about we have unions for patient safety is just talk.

i do love the way you diss your former workmates , i bet they loved you as well ! :yawn:

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 20, 2009

unions benefit the worthless employees the most. they make it difficuilt to fire the slackers. it's all about the money with unions don;t let union nurses try and say it's about patient care it's about the bottom dollar. i worked at a kaiser facility and there was trash on the floor, the aide for the icu slept all night and all the nurses constantly talked about was working a double so the could get double time after 12 hours. all this talk on here about we have unions for patient safety is just talk.

whoa! i'm thinking you have a negative opinion of unions, but i don't see any rational discussion to back that up.

PICUPNP · Aug 22, 2009

Unions have no place in nursing and never will. Its a shame that so many have been duped into joining! For the unionized nurse, you are either with them or you're the enemy. These organizations do nothing more than drive a wedge between union and non-union nurses within a facility. There are those of us that are capable of speaking for themselves.