[LauraRNwv]

I was "raised" union. I come from coal country where the union saved a lot of lives (after all the major shootings were over, that is lol) and helped a lot of families when the companies were just out to make that almighty dollar. I would NEVER cross a picket line as a nurse (or any other type of worker) and have very little respect for someone who does.

[Anonymous]

Are you saying you would rather have the administration nurses take care of YOUR patients.. Or better yet another nurse who doesn't know how to..That's like saying you'd rather put your kids in daycare than take care of them.

See I'm looking at the patient here. While I am a nurse advocate my first loyality is to my patient.

After all the coal will still be there when the strike is over and no worse for it.. What about your patient who is on a vent, or TPN??? DKA????

JMHO

WR,,, three commas for Becca

[TracyR]

Unions had their place in the coal business, and in manufacturing, and trucking, and so on...

But my take on unions and healthcare is that it is bad medicine! Like WR said, we are patient advocates first and foremost. Sure we have to protect our jobs just like anyone else, but if we rely on unions and administrators to dictate how we care for the sick ( or at least any more than they already do, ie...HMOs and the like, and I know someone out there will come up with some more mis-managed healthcare horror stories ) then more people will die.

Take care of your patients and vote the union out!!!

[Anonymous]

I'd like to share a union story with you and the other posters.

International Paper set up business in central Maine. I don't know just when.. I think sometime in the early 50's. Now shortly after that people started noticing the fish going belly up in the river. But they also made good money there at the paper mill..Guess none of them put two and two together.

They got the union in and one of the things the union won for the employees was DT on Sundays. As competition set in and the government tightened pollution laws the paper mill decided in contract negotiations that the Sunday DT had to go. So the union struck.. And their biggest complaint was the fact that the paper mill was polluting the river and killing all the fish..

Now don't you find it ironic that as long as the union was getting DT on Sunday's they were able to turn a blind eye to the lack of fish in the river???? See I don't particularly like groups who are self serving. The philosophy of "It's ok as long as I get my piece of the $$$ but as soon as you take that away from me I'm gonna squak "
They weren't for the river, the environment, or their fellow man ..They were in it for themselves.. Funny how unions bring that out in people.


WR,,, three commas for Becca

P.S. International Paper has since been removed from NASDAQ as one of the fortune 500 companies.. And if you don't think too many demands by nursing won't affect your position look at the influx of foreign nurses and health insurance costs.

[TracyR]

Amen!!!

[oh hd rn]

for LauraRNwv:

i was brought up union too...

my Dad worked at Ford for over 30 years...

i was faced with this potential problem 2 years ago...my husband was down sized out of a job and i had to "go agency" through 2 different agencies at 2 different facilities just to pay our bills.

at one facility (where i was getting the full time work), the union/facility were in contract negotiations and were less than a week away from striking. the manager approached me and asked if i would be willing to cross the picket line and here is what i told her...

i would cross the picket line for one reason only... somebody had to feed my little girl... and that was the only reason, that i supported the union and their demands and if it were just me or just me & my husband, i would not cross...

and it all turned out to be a moot point anyway... the hospital met the demands... no strike...

[McLass]

Beginning in 1976 as a Teamster (being a nurse) I developed a very strong since of the word "UNION" organization. Now, of course nurses have formed their own union ANA. But, whether people think bad or good of unions is irrelevant. What is important is that without one you find more and more employee abuse. Increased overtime without compensation and poor pay raises. Yes, you have your dues to pay, but you have to ask yourself. "What is important to me?" Is it the safety of the union net and not letting the employer abuse your license or falling through the net of unprotected workforce?
Having a Union is not unlike having a Manager as a star.
The discussion of Strike is not something either side likes to due. As with our ethics and standards as nurses, our role is to nurture and care. The hospital surely looses money if doors are closed. So, hopefully arbitration is used as a useful tool and balance to meet both needs.
Someone in the earlier thread had mentioned about poor monitary wasting with the CEO's etc. I agree whole heartedly!! As with many of our revamping and restructuring it falls back on the nurses to pull in thier belts and "suck it up" per say. While administration has purchased designer office desks, remodeled a waiting room with a $2,000.00 table etc. We see money spent foolishly and become frustrated and bitter. Not alone the agencies they pull in to tell them to cut staff and put more patient ratio's per nurse as the illustrious Matrix comes into play. These Agencies are paid in the tune to over 70K ...I COULDNT make that in 2 years (net pay).
WE are not paid what we are worth nor are our benefits suiting to the years and work we put in for our employers. Needless to say our Unions are attempting to protect us. But our Unions are only as strong as we are. Hence the Hospitals can afford to remodel, rebuild and hire outlandish Agencies.....SO WHY can they pay obscene wages and benifits??
Tired of them PLEEDIING poverty!
One Strong Union Lass

[jillofalltrades]

You hit it on the head. A hospital would rather pay a nurse 4700 bucks a week to cross a picket line then pay the nurse who's place she is taking a decent wage with decent benefits and a decent retirement. What does that say about respect..or the lack thereof..or who wants to have all the power. The hospital I worked for added a gorgeous new wing. All new medsurg floor..new ICU, new OR and ASU. REally beautiful...well...whoever planned it didn't pat attention. You had to walk either down a hill or up a hill to get to the entrance..stupid..so they moved it. And put the entrance right through half the ER. So they had to remodel the ER...we needed more beds but they gave us the same number of beds...less room...and designed it without any bathrooms...we got a bathroom...but the room we did pelvics in was right across from the door to the waiting room. Not too bad until they stuck a door on that had the whole top half as a window..we also had a psych room that we coluldn't lock cause it wasn't up to code..They picked the cheapest bid..and architect who had NEVER designed a medical facility..% years later they had to build an entire new building to hold the ER it had grown so much...They have had to replace the flooring in PACU 4 times because of mold..the ASU has already outgrown it's beds...very short-sighted of them don't you think?? No nurse input...we weren;t smart enough...so think again..

I love a system that puts a 3000 dollar couch in the ER waitng area...for the bums to sleep and puke on...

Anyway...if nurses didn't cross picket lines then nurses wouldn't have to strike for 2-3 months. And trust me.. your co-workers are smart. Nurses aren't going to threaten to strike over any little thing. It takes a lot to get nurses out on strike...So give us credit for not being idiots.
My Opinion only

[jillofalltrades]

After reading several posts on this board, I again have to say...unions help..have you read the anger and the bitterness in the posts on different boards?? Most of the nurses are burnt out, pissed off and leaving the fields. No breaks, ****ty pay, no say in patient care, ****ty staff/patient ratios... These are things that we fixed when we went union. Money was the smallest part... again.. those who depend on management to treat them nice.. well, good luck. Nothings perfect.. But in a profession where your co-worker will eat you alive if you dare take a break if she/he doesn't..well, something has to go. If the nurses are so burnt out they leave how does that help the patients. And beleive me..those of you who believe in taking care of patients without also taking care of ourselves as a profession..most of you will end up bitter and burnt out too. Since when does one have to be a doorrug to be a "good nurse". Since when is speaking up for yourself...asking..no demanding the proper tools to do your job. And it is a job. and a profession. And people out there in other fields can go to bat for themselves. Why is it nurses feel bad if they do. For crying out loud. I was sick of 12 hour shifts with no breaks, not peeing, not eating, doing it all...almost left. But now feel empowered. BEst thing that ever happened.
GO UNION!!!!!!!!!

[acutecarenp]

You are kidding... Right???
Please tell me you are kidding!