VA nursing and the union

[momswann]

HI all. I recently took a job at a local VA hospital. I've been shocked and dismayed at some of the "goings on" that happen. Our union seems to protect employees that take advantage of union rules. For example, it is ok to show up two hours late because somewhere in the union rules, you have 2 hours before being considered tardy. Now I recognize that many of these rules are written for a non hospital working environment, but as you can imagine, these rules do not apply well to a hospital. Also, calling in sick during the holidays seems to have no ramifications either. Does anyone have any feedback or insight into this? What has your experience with the federal government union been like? Do employees (read: nurses) take advantage of these rules? I have found that it is demoralizing for those nurses that do not take advantage....

Thanks!

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

Not all of the civilians in my workplace behave badly with the union to protect them, but many of them do. Calling out sick, refusing to answer a telephone line in the ER because it isn't in their contract (I wish I were kidding!) and the like are commonplace in my hospital. It's one of the many reasons that nothing gets done. Of course, everything that needs to be done then falls on the military nurses, of which there are few and far between, so you get Army nurses who are working on rotating shifts on a weekly basis and being worked to the bone to accomplish missions that are being ignored by the civilians. And of course, you can't fire the problematic civilians either, because the union won't allow that.

[jeckrn, BSN, RN]

You can fire the problem children if the supervisors are willing to do the work and do it fairly. I have worked in union facilities and supervisors will write up the problem child but not their friend for the same thing. The problem child then runs to the union and brings up the fact that the supervisor did not write up their friend and then the whole thing is dismissed. Yes, federal employees can be fired but the infractions must be documented; it just happened at my facility to a long term employee who for years did not have supervisors enforce the rules. The new one came in and enforced them, did the proper documentation and the employee was fired. It is not an easy task but can be done.

I have been a union member and have been upset by the union protecting the ones that should not be. You are seeing less of this in the private sector because some unions have woken up and realized they are to protect all employees and if that means allowing the facility to fire the ones who do not follow the rules protects the jobs of the ones that do.