Why form a union?

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There are many benefits to forming a union, but our main goal is this: To have a seat at every table where decisions are made that directly impact patient care, nurse safety and well-being, and nurse recruitment and retention efforts. Right now, we have seen many major decisions made without us, even though they directly effect our practice. These include changing ratios and staffing matrixes, poor retention efforts, and also a multitude of cuts that only seem to look at the bottom line, without consideration for patient care or staff well-being. It's time for them to hear us!

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Is this for other staff besides nurses?

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The union is only for nursing staff, though we appreciate the support of all other staff members, as many of the things we will be fighting for affect us all. This is not a decision to exclude on our part. Legally defined groups under the National Labor Relations Act already exist.

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What are the next steps?

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We are hard at work getting our numbers up! Please do your best to carefully and quietly spread the word. Once we feel we have enough people, you will receive a text or email with information about where, when, and how to sign the petition to unionize. That will trigger National Labor Relations Board involvement, and eventually lead to an organized secret ballot vote by all current eligible nursing staff members.

 

What happens once the union is formed?

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Nurses decide democratically whether or not to form a professional union in an election process run by the National Labor Relations Board. If RNs decide to hold an election and the vote is successful, members immediately elect fellow nurses to the bargaining team and other leadership positions. Nurses set the priorities for contract negotiations. Organizing a union is the first step to gaining a seat at every table where decisions are made that affect you, your patients, and your nursing practice. 

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What can we expect in the meantime?

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When hospital administrators find out that healthcare professionals are considering forming a union, they often hire union-busting consultants (often at a cost of thousands of dollars per day). These union-busters sometimes pose as independent "experts", but their entire job is to stop healthcare professionals from organizing. Through mandatory group meetings, emails, letters, videos, and one-on-one meetings with your manager, union-busters try to scare, intimidate, and discourage healthcare professionals from coming together to have a strong voice as a union. They would love to continue making cuts without our input or involvement, despite pushing many of us to our breaking points. 

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Please check out our union busting preparedness page.

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Any other questions or concerns, we would be happy to hear from you and will to our very best to answer! Please feel free to reach out anytime! Check back to the website often, we will try to update with more information as we are able. 

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