Who is the Anti-Union Network?

[herring_RN]

learn more about the range of organizations comprising the anti-union network.

center for union facts--notorious industry lobbyist and pr flak richard berman is now attacking unions through his latest front group, in the same way he's fought against drunk driving laws, health regulations, consumer protections, and minimum wage increases for years.

national right to work foundation and committee--is the country's oldest organization dedicated solely to destroying unions

u.s. chamber of commerce--the nation's most powerful business lobbying organization, has been campaigning against unions, fair labor practices, and legal protections for america's workers for nearly a century.

public service research foundation and council--these small, established groups supply their more prominent anti-union colleagues with research, polling, and propaganda to fight against the right of teachers and other public employees to have unions.

for-profit unionbusters--these professional consultants or lawyers profit off their ability to manipulate labor law, advising employers on how to thwart union organizing drives or how to get rid of workers' unions.

http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/home/

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Regardless of how the union camp wants to paint the picture, strikes are pure patient abandonment and should result in job termination. Is that how you would want your family treated?

There is NO place in healthcare for unions.

Facilities "abandoned" patients a long time ago by failing to provide adequate staffing and safe conditions for the ill patients in their care.

I personally want my family cared for in safely and responsibly staffed facility and by nurses that care enough to insure their care is not impeded by unsafe conditions.

And as someone that dislikes unions and their politics heartily, I pray for the day that facilities actually live up to their responsibilities and do right by their nurses and pts without the threat of unions. But if I held my breath for that day, I would be dead.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

If the facility truly cared for its patients, it would have fired every nurse that walked. This BS about notice given, cell #s for the managers to call, and it was only one daystrike is just that! Regardless of how the union camp wants to paint the picture, strikes are pure patient abandonment and should result in job termination. Is that how you would want your family treated?

There is NO place in healthcare for unions.

PIC , are you actually a nurse? if you are, you should be aware that "abandonment" has a precise, defined meaning in nurseland.....and a strike DOESNT meet that criteria. In a perfect world, no unions would be needed; we dont live in a perfect world.

[nicurn001]

In a perfect world the strong individual nurse advocate would be able to talk to management about a problem , in a professional manner , be treated with respect by their managers and have problems resolved , in the best interest of all involved . Unfortunately this is not a perfect world .When the question is posed to the anti union faction , WHAT does a nurses do when they have been up the chain of command with a problem , nothing has been done about it and now they are targeted by management , the answer usually boils down to change employer . Is this any way to advocate for our patients .

While some may be against unions , unions are not the problem , it is the poor management that creates problems that go unaddressed and lead the staff to look for something , anything ,to help them out of the morass of poor management .

Put another way if nurses are working for an enlightened , management team that believes in working as a real partnership with their staff , their is no way a union would be able to woo the nurses away from them .

[PICUPNP]

In the great scheme of things, I wouldn't have a problem with unions if the strikes and closed shop environment were eliminated. These are the two greatest issues for me. If an employee wants or needs the union to speak or do for them, they will pay the dues. If, conversely, an employee chooses not to be involved in the union, they shouldn't have to pay dues. This would be in an open shop environment.

[nicurn001]

By working in a facility were the union has been voted to represent its workforce , all those employees gain the benefit and obligations to it .It would be wonderful to get the benefits without paying for it , but this is the real world , so the union is voted in , you pay dues !. Whether or not you are active in the union it is active on your behalf , you are recieving a service and are obliged to pay for them.

As to strikes , no one wants to strike , but in threatening / having a strike the management is forced to recognise the depth of discontent in their staff and finally address the issue that caused the strike , while anti unionist decry strikes as abandonment , they remain quiet upon the extension of so say "abandonment" , caused by employers locking out their native workforce , sometimes even after a strike is called off .

[PICUPNP]

You don't have to pay dues in RTW states. Once again, this is why the unions have failed so miserably in their attempts to unionize Texas., no financial gain. How could the union expect to survive in a RTW state when the only employees who will pay dues will be the ones who actually vote the union into the facility, and there's no guarantee that they will continue to pay.

[Onekidneynurse]

Well, as the facility is given plenty of notice that a strike is about to occur, if the FACILITY CARES about pts, they have the option to transfer pts to another facility, cancel elective procedures.

One might also say that if nurses put up repeatedly with poor/dangerous staffing, in facilities where there are remedies/options, they are partially responsible for injury to pts related to poor staffing. Thus if we truly care about the good of the pts, we owe a duty to them to fix that issue.

(please note that I am neither a union advocate, nor union member but I do not strike break - I personally have never seen a nursing strike occur where it was not meritted by poor conditions/inadequate staffing. But my experience is limited)

Let me get this straight? You're for safe staffing and yet you'll allow other nurses at another facility to be over staffed? Is that correct? You'd have your patients sent to another facility and put them in danger? You have no idea if the nursing staff there is able to take care of those patients. How would you feel if you had a nurse you had bonded with, who may have done CPR on you abandon you and have you shipped across town. In the cold or the rain? What if you are a pysch nurse and your patient has finally come to trust you? What do you do when your hospital is a hight level care and the neighboring hospital isn't. What happens when you're the only game in town?

[Onekidneynurse]

By working in a facility were the union has been voted to represent its workforce , all those employees gain the benefit and obligations to it .It would be wonderful to get the benefits without paying for it , but this is the real world , so the union is voted in , you pay dues !. Whether or not you are active in the union it is active on your behalf , you are recieving a service and are obliged to pay for them.

As to strikes , no one wants to strike , but in threatening / having a strike the management is forced to recognise the depth of discontent in their staff and finally address the issue that caused the strike , while anti unionist decry strikes as abandonment , they remain quiet upon the extension of so say "abandonment" , caused by employers locking out their native workforce , sometimes even after a strike is called off .

Do other hospitals in the area benefit from your union activity? They don't pay dues do they?

[nicurn001]

do other hospitals in the area benefit from your union activity? yesthey don't pay dues do they?no

quite a bonus those nurses at other facilities gettingsomething for nothing , unless ,of course you don't believe the unionized facility is the pacemaker for wages , benefits and conditions of employment in its locale .

[Onekidneynurse]

Quite a bonus those nurses at other facilities gettingsomething for nothing , unless ,of course you don't believe the unionized facility is the pacemaker for wages , benefits and conditions of employment in its locale .

No, I'm pretty sure they are quite brilliant....... And that was my point they are working for all the nurses in town. And those that don't bother with the politics benefit. Without paying... Good deal IMHO.

[Onekidneynurse]

PIC , are you actually a nurse? if you are, you should be aware that "abandonment" has a precise, defined meaning in nurseland.....and a strike DOESNT meet that criteria. In a perfect world, no unions would be needed; we dont live in a perfect world.

Maybe some do live in a perfect world.

[nicurn001]

Maybe some do live in a perfect world.

Maybe they think they do . Without having experienced the world , they do not have anything to make a comparison with .