Monday, December 4, 2006
This blog has been established as a means for all RNs to get current information regarding the CNA Union for nurses at TCMC in Oceanside, CA. Feel free to share accurate information here, in order to help your peers navigate through the confusing rhetoric of CNA propaganda. Your comments will be screened before posting so please be patient while waiting to view.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
Thank you for starting this blog to get legitimate info out to the staff. The union has been manipulating things since the first time they stepped on TCMC soil. Your effort if appreciated.
Congratulations to the Professional Nurses of Tri-City Medical Center for seeing through the deceit and rhetoric of the California Nurses Association and filing for a decertification election.
It will not be easy, perseverence will see you through. Be assertive, do not let one union lies go unchallenged! The CNA has already posted deceptive information on their website using you as an example. The CNA's post about the Tri-City contract leads others to believe that they WON you a pension. We all know that you had a pension without the the CNA. The new contract changed nothing but they are selling it as though they were responsible.
Keep up the great work and continue to move forward,
Sherwood Cox, R.N., CCRN
Western Medical Center Santa Ana
Critical-Care
Shock Trauma Clinician
Webmaster of www.StopUnions.com
I am surprised to still find so many RNs who have been ‘out of the loop’. Part of the reason is that until now there has been no central place for spreading info. Since I was privileged to be a part of the grass roots effort to decertify the CNA, maybe I can shed some light on where we’ve been so far.
There were just a few RNs who got together last spring to discover how the heck the CNA got in to TCMC and how to get them back out. We got a copy of the district Resolution No. 692 (BTW, anyone can get a copy by asking HR), studied it, and had conferences with attorneys until we understood how it works. Then we began collecting signatures for the decertification petition. Many of you offered your help in different areas of the hospital, but it was slow at first, as many RNs still had hope that the CNA could actually improve our salaries and benefits. It eventually became clear, through the ridiculous “gains” claimed by the union during negotiations, that the CNA did not have the power [or the desire] to get any real changes made. And so the signature campaign blossomed as disenchanted RNs from all over the medical center saw the disappointing writing on the wall. When we reached our goal of 240 signatures, our attorneys advised us and we filed the petition on Nov 16.
Not knowing we could or had filed, the CNA put a rush on their miserable negotiations to try to complete a contract, ANY contract, by mid-December, when they mistakenly thought our petition could first be filed. On Nov 30, they quickly agreed to whatever the hospital’s last offer was, and signed. Reportedly, even the CNA RN negotiating team [to their credit] did not want to settle for such a lousy contract, but they have no real voice during negotiations and the CNA did not listen to their complaints, wanting badly to close that very day, at any cost. Later, they would be caught with their arrogant pants down when they found out our signatures were already safely counted and verified! [Embarrassed but out of options, I feel Carol, Sharon, Brenda, Teresa and Jim have really put on their best faces to try to support this shoddy accomplishment.]
This great underestimation of the power of nurses [without the union] is what led to such a bland contract boasting “big gains” and “landmark” improvements. Only the union would claim responsibility for ‘getting’ us a list of things we’ve already had for years:
Practice Committee.
Float policies.
24/7 lift team.
No mandatory OT.
RN-to-pt ratios.
Our Pension plan.
No call offs unless the unit is staffed per state mandates.
Educ. hours and Tuition reimbursement.
Preceptor pay.
And the useless/ meaningless portion:
“Technology language.”
“Association leave.”
And a most disappointing salary NET LOSS:
6% per year increase minus 2.2% for dues equals 3.8%. Not only does that not even cover the 4% market raise we were to have had, but it also doesn’t even touch the additional 4% merit increase I, and many other nurses, would have had, putting the really good nurses at a total NET LOSS of 4.2%. The good nurses, who won’t get their 2% merit, are at a NET LOSS of 2.2%. Even the RNs who had NO merit coming are at a NET LOSS of 0.2%.
The only good part of the contract is the timing. We will be enjoying some retro pay all the way to March 7, when we will give the boot to the union, once and for all. Thanks to all of you who made it happen!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.....What has happened to work ethics? What's wrong with getting compensated for hard work? The CNA thinks that SENIORITY is the way and where does that leave us? Why would anyone go that extra mile, volunteer for that special committee,or take on orienting,if not for compensation (merit pay?) What message are we sending to the new, enthusiastic, hard working nurse? That it doesn't really matter what you do,or how you do it, as long as you hang in there for 20 yrs to get proper pay for it. TCMC prides itself in great nursing care, great customer service and being a positive part of the community. What will happen to our reputation and job security if SENIORITY is all that matters?
DOES ANYONE KNOW THAT THERE IS A NURSING SHORTAGE? I THOUGHT UNIONS WERE ORIGINALLY SET UP TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES FROM LOOSING JOBS. I DON'T SEE A NEED HERE. AM I MISSING SOMETHING?
Throughout my nursing career I have seen it from both sides of the fence-the union side and the non union side--and as the saying goes "trust me" the NON UNION side is much better. We are professionals and CAN speak for ourselves. The respect that is garnered from presenting your own views versus those of a union is so different that you can actually feel the difference within a meeting room!!!
So take this opportunity to format what everyone wants, present a cohesive force, kick the union out, and then proceed with the requests in a respectful manner. You will win!!!
Ever suspect that the RNs on negotiating teams are just puppets flopping around at the masterful hands of the CNA? Take a look at the following “quotes” straight from the CNA website to see if you agree that the CNA just prints different variations of the same old rhetoric, then tacks a name onto it as though that nurse actually had the original thought:
“Securing safe staffing ratios and putting an end to pay disparities will help us retain and recruit nurses to the Bakersfield community.”
"Good Samaritan RNs are very happy because … while also recruiting and retaining the best possible nurses," said Susette Nacorda, an RN at the hospital.
"We are extremely pleased that Los Gatos RNs will now have a voice in patient care and be able to negotiate for better wages and benefits to retain and recruit nurses," said JoAnn Medina, an operating room RN at Los Gatos.
"… A greater voice will allow us to attract and keep top-quality nurses, and thereby give our patient…” said Jose Zarraga, a telemetry RN at USC.
“The nurses are very pleased,” said Brenda Ham, an RN who works on one of the medical surgical floors and is a member of the CNA nurse negotiating team. “Having a real voice ... and a competitive salary scale will mean we can recruit and retain quality nurses and provide quality care.”
“We are very pleased with..." said Teresa Meyer, RN who works in the operating room and is a member of the CNA nurse negotiating team. “…This contract will attract and retain nurses while empowering them as patient advocates – that’s what our patient community needs and deserves.”
This public display of profound gullibility and presumed lack of character is rather an embarrassment to nursing.
Click here to read a great article in the NC Times this morning.
Thanks to Denise Douglas for her hard work!
I went to the union meeting last night. Who is this bargain rep Jim guy? As soon as he got to the meeting (late), he started interupting the union speaker, calling the IMC manager a lyer and even called the antiunion nurses there all a--holes! I couldnt believe his rudeness and disrespect and noone told him to shut up. If this is what the union thinks is acceptable behavior, I'll gladly vote them out,the sooner the better!
I was at the meeting and you are misleading anyone who reads this. Wasn't the meeting orderly and informative? Yes. Didn't our rep answer all the antis questions and treat you with respect? Yes. In the end, each professional is responsible for their own conduct. That goes for all of us including Jim and you. Don't you think misleading people to believe that there was some sort of verbal attack sanctioned by prounion nurses is unacceptable? I never heard the expletive you mentioned and I was sitting right there, but I always urge my colleagues to conduct themeselves in a professional manor. I don't think it would be professional to tell you or any other colleague to "shut up".
I, too, noticed no one from the union side attempted to shush his comments and behavior. Where the union failed, administration now has finished the job.
This week that individual was brought on the carpet by the Tele manager and despite having a union rep there to defend him, received a week's suspension anyway.
Post a Comment