| It's your first job nursing and you are wondering if | | | | wages, better benefits such as health care coverage, |
| joining the local nurses union is a good thing for you. | | | | more compensated time off, paid holidays, reimbursed |
| You don't' know much about unions and how they | | | | continuing education programs and whatever else may |
| work but your father was a union man and he | | | | be on their agenda. The down side for you is the union |
| seemed to do okay. | | | | interest may not be your interest. Your interest may |
| Unions originally came about for the protection of | | | | be continuing education reimbursement, clinical ladder |
| workers who were at the mercy of the employer. | | | | advancement and longevity compensation but the |
| Unions were organized to protect the employee from | | | | union may decide they are irrelevant issues. They may |
| unrealistic work schedules, unsafe work conditions, | | | | be more interested in collecting dues rather than |
| abusive management practices and proper financial | | | | address the issues important to you. |
| compensation. | | | | An example of how union negotiations might not be |
| A trade or labor union is an organized group of | | | | beneficial is this: If nurse to patient ratio is an issue, and |
| workers who have banded together to achieve | | | | the union negotiates a low ratio, how is that going to |
| common goals in key areas. The union leadership is | | | | work if there is a shortage of nurses and there aren't |
| the bargaining entity that negotiates the labor contracts | | | | enough qualified nurses to go around? Instead of |
| on behalf of the membership. The negotiations may | | | | negotiating those terms, perhaps the nurses and |
| include salaries, work rules, compensated time off, | | | | management should work together in the spirit of |
| benefits, complaint procedures, hiring, firing and | | | | cooperation and come up with ways to encourage |
| promotion of workers and anything else that is | | | | people to join the nursing profession and actually have |
| deemed to be important. The agreements negotiated | | | | the work force in place to make the low nurse to |
| are binding on the rank and file and the employer and | | | | patient ratio work realistically. |
| sometimes on non-union workers. | | | | A few questions to ask yourself about joining a nursing |
| Joining a nurses union is a way of protecting the best | | | | union are, does the union create an "us versus them" |
| interest of yourself and your profession. It gives the | | | | mentality? Does it prevent both sides of the table from |
| nurses an element of control and security over the | | | | working together for a common goal or keep the |
| work they do and the place they do it. A union will give | | | | sides from integrating for the betterment of patient |
| a nurse the opportunity to be part of a united voice | | | | care and the medical profession in general? A union |
| and a strong entity of medical professionals. | | | | has to work for the betterment of all or it won't work |
| Belonging to a nursing union has its pro and cons. The | | | | for anybody. Does a union make your job nursing |
| upside is the union is the central bargaining agent for | | | | more efficient or does it just create more problems? |
| the entire membership and since there is strength in | | | | When you answer those questions, you will know if |
| numbers, may be able to negotiate for premium | | | | joining a nurses union is for you. |