Would you join a union

Nurses General Nursing

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I am about to accept a position at a hospital that is unionized; you don't have to join but I guess most do. What are your thoughts on this, would you join? Care to share the pros and cons?

steph,

i've seen you on the board several times. i really value your advice.

thanks for keepin it real!

april

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Nonunion is against my religion.

I have a real problem negotiating for all I can get for MYSELF... and the heck with what's left for everyone else.

I like unions because they reflect a team approach.

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Basically, what it comes down to is what you want and feel comfortable with.

Are you comfortable with a union representing you?

Are you comfortable paying a union to represent you?

or

Are you confident and comfortable enough to represent yourself when an unfair issue arises?

Are you comfortable with handling issues on your own?

Just some questions to think about. :)I think unions are just available if we need to buy a stronger voice.

Good luck in your decision!

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Originally posted by BadBird

I am planning on joining the union as I don't think it is fair for non union nurses to be represented the same as union nurses but not pay their fair share. It has been my experience that management puts the screws to the nurses who are not unionized. What amazes me is that after reading the responses both here and pm's it seems all unionized nurses are much happier.

It is because we have a sense of control. We must be treated fairly whether administration wants to or not.;)

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My exp with the union was not good only because our union went to battle for our sister hospital which was larger..all of my dues paid to get the nurses there raises. My friend worked ER at the bigger hospital or should I say "massive hospital" and I worked ER at the smaller (still quite large). They threatened to strike and ended up with 4-5 dollars more an hour for each step then we did. We talked about striking or negotiating our contract furhter and the union poo pooed us. ...just my exp but I wouldn't do union again, I don't think...erin

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Originally posted by Katerina

Basically, what it comes down to is what you want and feel comfortable with.

Are you comfortable with a union representing you?

Are you comfortable paying a union to represent you?

or

Are you confident and comfortable enough to represent yourself when an unfair issue arises?

Are you comfortable with handling issues on your own?

Just some questions to think about. :)I think unions are just available if we need to buy a stronger voice.

Good luck in your decision!

Being an old union representative not nursing (AFL-CIO) whether or not you pay the dues to the union or not you are still represented by the union the same as everyone else. The question becomes do you feel comfortable receiving the same benefits the rest of the employees are getting.

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Originally posted by stevielynn

I have a philosophical disagreement with paying someone to represent me as I feel I can represent myself

steph

So you would represent your self in court? There are numerous situations in life where it is to your advantage to hire someone else to do a job rather than do it ourself. Unions have the skill and experience of negotiation with corporations that I do not have. Just as a plumber has the skill and experience to fix my broken pipes, leaks etc that I do not have.

Sure I could represent myself in court, I could figure out how to fix my own plumbing etc. But my field of expertise is nursing not negotiation, not the law not plumbing. I migh do ok but I would not get the best representation would not get the best plumbing work by doing it myself. I would not recomend a lawyer or plumber be the one careing for you at the bedside if you were hospitalized.

There are a lot of do it yourselfers in the world. And they are NOT the ones who do real well. There is a lot of comedy based on doing things yourself for a reason.

To believe you can do just as good as the professional is like the plumber saying he could do just as good as you in your position.

Do it youself and you end up stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

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You may feel that you can negotiate well enough for your self. But there are certain thing that you cannot negotiate that only a union or collective barganing unit can do.

You can negotiate your individual salary. You can negotiate benefits up to a point. You can negotiate hours and perks.

Your negotiation is limited to insurance that the employer has chosen to contract for. The employer picks the insurance companies that they will do business with. Then they deside how much they will contribute if any based on over all cost.

You may have several plans to choose from within one company. You cannot negotiate that the employer for a better plan with a better company. You are stuck with what the employer chose.

If the employer does not offer certian benefits you cannot negotiate them simply because these are not things that are even possible to offer to just one person. The law does not allow an employer to give you retirement without offering it to everyone. Vesting for retirement or other benefits must by law be the same for everyone.

You will unlikely be able to nogiate holidays, paid time off sick leave etc. You take what they offer period.

You cannot negoitate the number/acuity of patients you will take..

What ever you feel that you suceeded in negotiating it is unlikely that you have it in a signed contract that you can force the employer to abide by. Your only option if they violate your agreement is to quit. A contract keeps it so you don't have to quite.

You can negotiate for your self but that negiotiation is very limited. It is the difference between buying single items in a small store and paying top dollar for everything you buy there and being Walmart and buying warehourses full of merchandise at an astromonical discount. Alone you not only pay full retail but top retail. Walmart not only buys wholesale but pays the lowest possible whole sale price as well.

There is strength in numbers that you will never realize alone.

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Originally posted by bluesky

If I had a choice between a (clinically) great union hospital and a great non-union hospital, I'd go union. If I had the choice between a mediocre union hospital and a great non-union hospital, I'd go to the non-union for now.

My Father was a union rep for over 21 years, and I followed in his footsteps as a rep for the few years I remained at the company. We were AFL-CIO. So without hesitation you can tell I'm a union man. The huge problem we have with collective bargaining in nursing is in fact that we can't legally strike, and that makes a nursing union a hysterical joke. We have little to no power without strike capabilities. As far as sick outs go, they are basically very useless and ineffective in this profession. All we end up doing with sick outs is giving our good friends and fellow coworkers "ungod" like pt. load assignments. We need to team up with a union that can do the striking for us. At one point I heard someone was talking with the Teamsters. If we could team up nursing and the Teamsters, we would be virtually unstoppable. With a strike from the Teamsters and a sick out by the nurses we would bring the nation to its knees in a single day! And, we wouldn't have any difficulty getting our demands meet. Oh yah my name is Jon Smith ;-)

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Lots of union nurses do have the legal right to strike. Exceptions being those whose employer is the govt --- like the nurses who work in unionized VA hospitals. Employees who work for the govt can't legally strike -- but the rest of us can.

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Let's see the answer to whether I would jin a union or not is not just NO BUT HELL NO. I am adamatly anti union. I come from a union state and my dad belonged to unions most of his life and my brothers did too. The unions never even helped them when they were laid off. They just wanted to continue to collect the union dues each month. Thats unions for you.

Dave

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Originally posted by BadBird

I am about to accept a position at a hospital that is unionized; you don't have to join but I guess most do. What are your thoughts on this, would you join? Care to share the pros and cons?

Most do because you pretty much are pushed into it. I had worked for a non union hospital before going to the union one. When I was hired my husband had been given an opp to go back to school for 3 months towards his journeyman..we decided it was a good move for him so he did it. Of course that meant for 3 months our income was cut in half..I told the union rep I wanted to join but that I could not until April 1 which was when my husband would return to work. Our dues were around 21.00 per pay period which isn't a lot but 42.00 paid for gas for the month for me and we were cutting serious corners for that time period. I put it in writing and sent it to the union, Then I received a letter saying I needed to respond as to whether I was going to join. I called and spoke to the rep and then put it writing again and sent it certified with a reciept so I would know that they rec'd it. I then rec'd a very nasty letter from them saying that I needed to either respond or they would pursue having me terminated from the hospital. I called the rep again who said they never receieved my letter..I did get a return receipt so this was a lie..I was so angry..I said whatever just sign me up..which of course is what they wanted..I referred to them as the gestapo from that day forward!! That exp couple d with the other I posted where this union really took care of our sister hospital but did nothing for us is why I highly doubt I will ever join a union again...Erin

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