mrbrownrn49 says ...

Here's the start of a fight I'm sure.

But please note that women never lead anything that takes a fight and guts at the same time.

No auto union, no coal miners union, no teamsters are lead by a female. Unions came about for a reason. Union leadership has gone astray more than once. But I'll promise you if it were not for unions the US would not have an auto industry or railroads or coal.

Nursing, as a predominantly female occupation, is ripe for abuse and boy do we get it. Say we don't and I'll know you're a pollyanna.

There is no way in hell id spend one nickel on union dues IF they ever offered them here in Georgia.   Maybe if women ran the auto unions they wouldnt be so crooked, huh?   Women dont do well in a fight?   Try asking both my ex husbands.........      dude, when you piss off a woman enough you'll lose everything you cherish that you worked hard for.    If they force unions down here..........I would be the scabby NON-JOINER.    A strike would not effect me..........I choose what ever I want to.  If Im chosen for termination of my job.......whatever, Ive been begging my husband to let me start travel nursing, but he likes me at home.    I would be the one who gripes at frieinds who would be spineless enough to join a fictional union.   A big fat hunk of their dues will go to lobbyists who dont give a rats butt about anybody except the dues.   The last time I paid dues for anything was girl scouts and will keep it that way.  I do agency work right now prn along with home health full time, so I dont think I would be affected with the exception of picking up hours that striking nurses wont work.............no worries, bigger money for me. 

Angie, I've gotten more matching on my 401K in the last year with a union hospital, than I did all the previous 18 years added together.    I've gotten more raises in the last 15 months, than I had for 3 years in the last place I worked (non-union).  I've never had someone that would represent me, if I got called into the office, unless I was willing to pay for my own lawyer.  I'll pay my union dues.  I'm told that in all the years the hospital has had union, it's rare  for them to actually make it to a strike, because the hospital usually comes to some agreement,  So it might be a mightly long wait, for you to pick up any hours for a strike.  And if you do pick up hours from a strike, It would probably only be a week anyhow.  Because as much as the hospital doesn't like giving in, hiring agency nurses is also very very expensive.  I'm told that in this area, if it ever went to strike for SEIU, the teamsters won't cross a strike line.  The Teamsters while they represent the CNA's at my hospital, also represent truck drivers.  So no trucks bringing in food, no trucks picking up linen, no trucks bringing in supplies, no trucker willing to cross the strike line.   That would be a shift, I wouldn't want even at double the agency pay.

LOL, there are a lot of people that don't like unions.  Some of the people that I work with (who work for unions don't like unions).  My husband's grandfather was a in a union, retired with a big pension, and he didn't like unions.  So whats your point?  I can assure you that those of us who work at the union are a diverse group with diverse opinions. 

A nursing union does only what most unions do---protect the poorest performers, and promote mediocrity.  If that is what you want for your personal primary bedside healthcare provider, you currently have that option.  However, that is not my personal choice, nor do I feel it is the personal choice of most of the public consumers.  If you are sick/debilitated enough to need nursing assistance, you would need it at the time you need it, not when it is 'convenient' for your union to provide it.  Hiding personal gain agendas behind the mask of 'patient safety' only lends itself to increased distrust of the system overall, and the nursing profession specifically, since they are primarily the ones waving this flag. 

I agree with you Justme. Why do we have to couch our demands/grievences behind the vei of "patient safety"? Isnt it enough that we are abused on a daily basis by everyone and anyone? Why cant we say we are striking for more money, better benefits, increased pensions etc etc and not have the general public think we are a bunch of money grubbing SOB's. Teachers do it, cops and firefighters do it, and so do a lot of other professions. Frankly I could care less what the general public thinks of nurses, their  opinion means nothing to me. They are the ones whose arse we wipe, who's puke we clean up, whose festering wounds we clean up, so why in the hell do we have to include "the patient" in every single discussion?  I want more money and better benefits plain and simple and if that makes me a bad guy then so be it.  As far as unions protecting poor performers its true but if you arent one of the poor performers then dont sweat it. Survival of the fittest will eventually clean them out and I have no problem fragging someone who isnt doing their job. Get enough write ups and I guarantee your day will come, it may take a while but eventually it will catch up with them.  So I say lets get it out in the open we DESERVE more money, we DESERVE better benefits, we DESERVE a pension, because we are worth it........................ period.  If I was running the strike I wouldnt hide behind patient safety because IMO thats the cowards way out.

This is my standard answer to people who tell me they don't believe in unions: Do you like weekends? How about the 40 hour work week? Disability and worker's comp? Then thank a union member.

So there you go. The MNA has caved and signed a contract with the hosp. which from what I can gather is not the best of contracts with raises in the 1-2% range. The recent 1 day strike was a complete waste of time and frankly its apalling  that these strike are organized around "patient safety" as the primary concern when in reality its about getting more money and better benefits. Of course its also predictable in as much as all nurses are taught "its not about the money" so of course strikes would be organized around patient centered care rather than whats really on their minds ie...................money. Shhhhhh dont ever say "money" as a nurse. Hypocritical, tell it like it is: We want more money and better benefits, there is that so wrong? I dont think so. Regardless its over in MInn and the hospitals won. Sure there will be some hard feelings but the hosp. will clean house, and new grads are cheap. Wait and see.