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Thread: Unionizing Texas RNs

  1. #21

    Re: Unionizing Texas RNs

    Email Alert to all NNOC members (“yes” join) in Dallas and Ft Worth metro area.
    Send asap
    Use Texas Bulletin wrapper


    MESQUITE HOSPITAL REFUSES TO FOLLOW 1:2 RATIO IN ICU
    FIRES WHISTLE-BLOWERS

    Three ICU RNs pleaded with Health Management Associations to fully and safely staff critically ill patients in the ICU; The hospital refused and instead fired the RNs

    Show Your Support for

     Safe Staffing Ratios
     All Nurses Who are Meeting their Professional Obligations as Patient Advocates
     Return to Work with lost wages and a clean record for the fired RNs


    COME TO A PRESS CONFERENCE CALLED BY NNOC TEXAS AND COMMUNITY AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

    FRIDAY, JUNE 15
    9:00 a.m.
    At the Main Entrance of the Dallas Regional Medical Center
    (Formerly the Mesquite Medical Center)
    1011 North Galloway Avenue
    Mesquite

    If possible please show up at 8:30 for a pre-press conference briefing.


    You Can Also Help Out by Volunteering Some Time to

    Block Walk in Mesquite Neighborhoods near the Hospital
    Block Walk crews will be going out on
    Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
    June 12, 13, and 14
    5:30 p.m.

    Meet in the back of the Hospital parking lot at
    1011 North Galloway Avenue
    Mesquite

  2. #22
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    1

    Fired ICU nurses

    Is this firing legal? I thought Texas honored the safe harbor clause.

  3. #23
    I am an RN here in Texas fighting for new legislature to be passed with manditory ratios, whistleblowing protection (we have none), and the right to be a patient advocate without fear of retaliation. I have never practiced anywhere but Texas, but was introduced to a whole new life during a rally in California. Or bill did not pass the legislature, didn't even make it out of committee, but we, as Texas nurses have fianlly found our voice, and we will not be so easy to shut up. I am interested in your feedback concerning unions, as I have never been a member. I do know that if we want to keep our job, we have been forced to take unsafe patient assignments, and pray that no one is injured. The Safe Harbor that we have in Texas is pretty worthless. If a nurse claims Safe Harbor, not only are they chastised by managers, there is a 7 page form to be filled out, front and back, by the nurse, and then SHE is reviewed!! It also states that you are only protected if YOU don't cause injury during your shift of unsafe staffing. There is NO agency to report to here. It is reported to the hospital,reviewed by the hospital, and the BNE of Texas. The Texas Nurses Assoc, who by the way DOES NOT support our bill, keeps talking about the "nursing shortage" as the reason for high nurseatient ratios, but if that's true, why is it that when the census is low, we are cancelled!! Low, by their standards is 4:1. We have begun to inform the public of why it takes so long to answer their call light. We were not "allowed" to tell them it was because we had 6 other patients, so they just thought we didn't care, or were taking a coffee break. But I refuse to be silent any longer, job or no!!

  4. #24
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    7

    Re: Fired ICU nurses

    Safe harbor does nothing to protect a nurses employment. Safe Harbor simply compels an institution to conduct a peer review of the working conditions on that particular day on that particular shift. The nurses license who files Safe Harbor is protected if the peer review finds that the standard of care was not met. Many nurses tend to spout off about Safe Harbor yet I'm willing to bet that very few are aware of the significant amount of paperwork that must be filed in order for Safe Harbor to be effective.

  5. #25
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    7

    Re: Unionizing Texas RNs

    Regarding the situation at Mesquite. It is the general consensus that the nurses that were fired were a "plant" by the union to gain sympathy. This is a similiar tactic that has been tried numerous times over the past century.

  6. #26

    Re: Unionizing Texas RNs

    Where did you get your info concerning the nurses in Mesquite being a plant? I know all three who were fired and IT WAS NOT a plant!! One of the nurses that was fired is a single mother with 3 children to raise, and was scrambling to replace her income. Administration told them that they "were going to make an example of them"(the nurses). So please do not assume that you know the situation, when you obviously don't.

  7. #27
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    11

    Re: Unionizing Texas RNs

    Im new to nursing Im a part time CNA working on becoming an RN, my full time job is and has been working for a construction company that has one aspect completley unionized, I was taking a look at one of the websites provided and found these untruths and have reviewed them with alot of the men here that are unionized and some I knew to be untrue even before asking around. Can someone offer some counterpoints on how a nursing union would be different in these aspects?

    Untruth

    "You only need to vote if you want the union."
    This is absolutely untrue! If you do not vote you have actually helped the union just as much as someone who voted yes (Read The Math). You must voice your opinion by voting.
    * this is true, you have to vote!

    Untruth

    "Your bonuses will not be affected."
    This is negotiable! There is no guarantee you will continue to collect bonuses under the union; there is actually a high probability you will no longer receive your bonuses.
    * bonuses have been replaced with work get togethers for moral :confused:

    Untruth

    "You will receive a 7% increase in pay for the next 2 years."
    The unions can, and probably will, take 3% for "economic improvements" After union dues, this will leave you with less than the 4% you could have received without a union.
    * many many complain of this here


    Untruth

    "Your schedule will not be affected."
    Are you one of those employees who has been working a set schedule for years? If so, prepare for the high possibility that will change. Unions have historically forced employees to rotate weekend and holidays, regardless of previously agreed upon arrangements. No more "working it out" with your co-workers.
    * haha yeah this ones a killer, Im not union so I dont have to deal with it

    Untruth

    "Unions will provide more staff."
    There is a national nurse shortage that the unions can do nothing about. The unions do not have a magical factory full of nurses just waiting for the hospital to become unionized. In reality, the unions frequently have the opposite effect since many quality nurses will not even apply at unionized facilities.
    * this one doesnt apply to my job we actaully have more workers than we know what to do with but I cant see how unions can pull workers out of thin air

    Untruth

    "Voting the unions in will make a statement to the hospital and its management."
    Don't be fooled, the hospital and its management will not have their incomes and careers influenced by the unions, only you will. Any additional costs incurred (i.e. payroll increases to fund union dues) will eventually be passed down to our customers, the patients. Unions are not patient advocates like us, their one and only motivation is to increase their membership and dues. They are not some human rights organization attempting to make the world a better place.
    * union work is extremely expensive to our customers and has cost us service contracts, my end starts up the job the union does service and maintenance contracts, alot of work ends when my side hands it over

    Untruth

    "The union will provide me with a pension."
    The unions will not be providing pensions for employees. If you are being told otherwise by a union representative, simply ask for it in writing.
    * they have pensions here but try moving on to a non union position, you loose everything you have built up trapping many workers in a dead end job, management changes and it sucks? too damn bad your stuck for life or loose out on your pension

  8. #28

    Re: Unionizing Texas RNs

    Thank you, mdlangs, for the info concerning unions. I have never been a member of a union, and appreciate your input. I know there are pros and cons to both sides, and I certainly want to make an informed decision concerning this issue. So far, I have been involved in trying to get legislation passed for mandated nurseatient ratios, and whistleblowing protection; however our bill never made it out of committee, and our next step seems to be moving towards unionizing. I am grateful for all of the input I have rec'd, and am still "on the fence" at this present time.

  9. #29
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    11

    Re: Unionizing Texas RNs

    no doubt - Im still trying to read into it more too - Im only a CNA and this seems to be a big issue that I will undoubtetly cross, I think whistle blower protection and ratios are a great thing to be looking into as well but not sure how a union will help with the ratio problems still and yeah thats the stinkiest part even being a CNA, I feel horrible I can never give a patient even enough time for a small chat before Im whizzing to the next change or lift or feeding and that wears me down quite a bit mentally:eek:

  10. #30

    Re: Unionizing Texas RNs

    I remember when I was a CNA back when I was in nursing school, and I was VERY naive. I was working on an extended care unit, and we had a patient on dialysis, bilat amputee from knees down. The nurses told me to go in and give him a bed bath before his dialysis. So I got all my stuff together and went into the room. I noticed that his fingertips were black and crusty, and there was a really foul smell. But I "bucked up" because I was gonna be a nurse!! Anyway, I was about to give him a washcloth to bathe his privates, when I removed his boxers, and saw that his p-nis was black and shriveled up, and when he began bathing it, part of it fell off!! That was when I decided to be and L&D nurse, women only!! Kisses!!

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