My last paper that I did when I was in school  was on this subject. I made no bones about how I felt because personally I think we deserve better thant what we get. For myself I would have absolutely no problem walking out on strike because management would then be left holding the bag for whatever happens. Although most public opinion polls hold nursing in very high regard, its a safe bet that the general public has no idea of what it is that we do on a daily basis and if they did  my guess is that they would be shocked to find out the deplorable working conditions most of us put up with. So for me, I'd be ready to walk at a moments notice. Sure Id fell bad about the patients but at some point we need to hammer home to management that we're not going to take it anymore. Lets hear what every one else has to say....................

Brownie I was going to vote for you but I new you'd be one of the first to respond............................LOL

After talking to a union here in Pa the nurses MUST give 10 days notice of a pending strike before they can walk out, so management would have plenty of time to move the patients before we left the building. So there now the patients will be covered and it will be impossible to put the nurses on the spot for poor patient outcomes...........................

My question is.......say you do go on strike. (I think I would if I felt it was the only way to get the point across)

Then the company fires you, or puts a bad mark on your record or you get sued, or any other thing that can happen.......for patient abandonment?

This has nothing to do with the patient. Please do not add the patient into the mix as it confuses people. This is about the nurses plain and simple. More money, better ratio's, a pension, a lunch 1/2hour, (2) 15 min breaks, simple things that everyone else gets but somehow nurses seem exempt. Please stop thinking in terms of the patient FOR EVERYTHING you count too, wether you believe it or not. And if you fear your job security that much just let em try to come up with enough nurses to cover all three shifts for the next few weeks. Things can get militant in one heck of a hurry.  REMEMBER THIS ISNT ABOUT THE PATIENT ITS ABOUT YOU...........................UNION NOW

we have open shop at my work. our dues are 1000 /year EGAD!! add that up people millions and millions $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

my point is this unions are giving their  cash to lobby politicians and NOT the ones that are for your rights as a taxpayer! they are going for their own agendas maybe it works for yu but i find it a poor way to do business. i belong to the union but i fight my own battles i don't rely on someone stumping for someone else to have my best interest at heart ..if you think the union represents the worker you are WRONG they represent themselves the union and its dues pay for their agenda not yours! read your employee handbook write everthing down and keep accurate notes of what you percieve as some unjust situation ...the best protection from an employers agenda is your own knowledge of your rights as an employee.

We dont have nursing unions in GA.  I use to fuss quietly about it but now Im glad we dont.   Look what unions did to GM, Ford, Chrysler........I know different career types.  I oppose unions and resent Obama trying to do that ballat that wouldnt be secret.  Everybody in GA as nurses would say "bite me USA Govt'.   The people who want ballots are edging up to government bailout in the future.   Hell no I wouldnt strike.  I have a bunch of friends who have been nurses for much longer than me and cant get a jobs.   These nurses are wonderful nurses too..............

After talking to a union here in Pa the nurses MUST give 10 days notice of a pending strike before they can walk out, so management would have plenty of time to move the patients before we left the building. So there now the patients will be covered and it will be impossible to put the nurses on the spot for poor patient outcomes...........................

I work at a union hospital in PA.  A year ago, we gave 10 days notice of pending strike.  It went to the last hour.  I was told that our union reps/nurse reps were going to the meeting with santa hats on.  Because they said everytime our contracts are up, the hospital always says "Hey, who do you think we are Santa Claus?".  It's the other way around. 

MR Brown...........I agree that we, as nurses, dont get the best treatment. I do not however agree with the copmment about any thing run by females has no fight or guts....

You yourself stated that nursing is predominantly a female proffession right?.....

And does nursing not take guts and fight....Every day?

When I was a union VP in a mostly female work environment, it was very hard to get the workers interested - most were married and relied on the husband's pay and benefits - they didn't want to "make waves" by joining the union.

BUT, they were not nurses, and this was many years ago. Still, I think the observation may still apply to some extent.

Nursejenny1310 says ...

My question is.......say you do go on strike. (I think I would if I felt it was the only way to get the point across)

Then the company fires you, or puts a bad mark on your record or you get sued, or any other thing that can happen.......for patient abandonment?

Gotta love this management tactic to prevent strikes.  If you're gonna tell a lie, tell a big one.

You can only be dinged for abandonment once you have accepted report on a patient.  If your union goes on strike, and you don't show up for your shift, it's not abandonment because you never took report in the first place.

If your relief doesn't show up, administration can only force you to stay for so long; up to 16 hours total, then they MUST find someone to relieve you.

Management knows when a strike is coming, and plans to have strike nurses on hand.  There's no issue with patient care.

And I would not advise Mrbrown's suggestion for a "wildcat" strike.  It's bad advice (sorry Mrbrown, but it is) for this reason:  nurses are "at will" employees.  This means we can quit at the drop of a hat, and get fired at the drop of a hat, and they don't have to explain cause.  Do a "wildcat" strike and you WILL get a termination on your employment record.

However, you do not have to go to one of the big unions like CNA/NNOC or SEIU if you want to organize.  You can do it on your own, and set up your own shop.  Once you organize and hold a vote on whether or not to become a union, then you can collectively bargain with administration and go on strike, and they can't do anything to you.

Well, we certainly didn't lose ground.  I know that there are disgruntled nurses that said we could have gotten better.  However, having worked at several places in the south....We get 2 raises a year, performance based  (average 3%) and cost of living (last year was 3% this year 1%).  In all my years working as a nurse, I've rarely had a year that saw 2 raises.  Additionally, we have longevity bonuses that vary according to hospital profit.  I'm told this years was the lowest, because of the economy (.5% of annual gross).  We have family sick days (if you don't use the family sick days they pay you for them at the end of the hospital fiscal year), a sick bank and PTO (PTO based on actual hours worked).  We have decent health, and dental benefits.  We have the usual health care savings accounts, and childcare accounts.  Additionally, we contribute a mandatory 5% to retirement, and a 5% match from the hospital.  The hospital has some kind of flexible health savings account that they put money in based on the type of healthcare benefits that you choose (up to a maximium of $2000 THE HOSPITAL PUTS IN NOT EMPLOYEE).   If you don't use it after 10 years your fully vested and can keep up to a maximum of $20,000 to take with you as a healthcare spending account.

Additionally, if we get accused of anything, or even called in to be quizzed on something that happened weeks ago, we have the right to have a union rep present.  I've not used it, but my co-workers have.  If we have a low census, there is a protocol in place as to who to offer it to (not willy nilly like it was in the south, with everyone fighting for favoritism to get sent home).  We get seniority based on hours worked.  The list is updated quarterly, and there are people that have been there 20 years, that are at the top.  We can file complaints about low staffing per union protocol. 

Not philly, think Harrisburg area!

Small facility, and I'm hearing that your not union, not only will a strike not work, it will get you fired.  If you don't have a union standing behind you, the best advice I can give is find a better job.

In our area SEIU covers RN's (I'm SEIU) and The Teamsters covers LPN's and CNA's.

sarahlint says ...

I,m in a situation in OH at a small facility.  Our facility was bought by a corporation 2 years ago and the administrator is a real piece of work.  She frequently downgrades employees, and some of our STNA,s have worked in this facility for 10-20years.  It's a family atmosphere or at least it was before SHE arrived.  She cut staff to begin with making the stress level 10 x more than it was.  She makes the employees feel as if they can't say anything to her for fear of retribution.  She tells the nursing staff we are a dime a dozen and that she could replace us at the drop of a hat.  The bottom line has become $$ and in the area of the world I'm from that is not what makes the world go around.  Also she has cut our raise from 3% yearly to 1.5% depending on state surveys and performance.  My question is to anyone who has knowledge in this area,  do we have reason to strike?  There are many different grievances that I haven't listed but it's late and I just worked a double. 

 

       Ohio also has a state labor board that I have used (a long time ago).  No employer likes to be put on the spot by them as most employers don't know they exsist until they get called out with a problem.  I remember it got my employers attention at the time and I was treated very differently after that as it put them on the radar (better known in slang as putting some smoke on their ass).  Maybe it is worth a try.  Maybe this Administrator need a respect lesson or two, some smoke.

 

Cheers and better luck - Tim, R.N.