History of Collective Bargaining in Nursing

History of Collective Bargaining in Nursing. About 25% of the nurses in the US are represented by a union. Many hospitals in Massachusetts have nurses’ and other HCW unions. We need to be able to work productively with unions. As leaders we need to manage labor relations •We need to understand that labor unions have agendas.

Objectives

• DEFINE AND DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
• OUTLINE THE History Of Collective Bargaining In Nursing In The U.S..
• IDENTIFY AND DEFINE KEY TERMS IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND LABOR RELATIONS.
• CITE MAJOR LABOR LAW LEGISLATION IN THE U.S..
• DISCUSS THE PROs AND CONs OF ORGANIZING IN NURSING.
• STATE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING LEADERSHIP IN THE MANAGEMENT OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND LABOR RELATIONS ISSUES.
• IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS CURRENT TRENDS IN LABOR UNIONS REPRESENTING NURSING AND/OR HEALTH CARE.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

“COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CONSISTS OF A PROCESS OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE MANAGEMENT OF AN ORGANIZATION AND A GROUP OF EMPLOYEES, TYPICALLY REPRESENTED BY A LABOR UNION.  MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES NEGOTIATE OVER TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT, ATTEMPTING TO REACH AGREEMENT ON ITEMS EMPLOYEES BELIEVE TO BE FAIR AND MANAGEMENT BELIEVES IT CAN LIVE WITH IN TERMS OF THE ORGANIZATION’S OPERATIONAL NEEDS AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES.  THE NEGOTIATED TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT ARE SPELLED OUT IN A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (CBA).”  (Huber, 2010)

Labor Relations

§NationalLaborRelationsAct or Wagner Act (1935) – Legislation providing employees w/ the right to organize and seek union representation through a collective bargaining agreement. Attempts to interfere may constitute an ULP. §DefinitionofLaborRelations: The relationship between the management of the hospital/health service organization, the staff, and the labor union the staff has voted to represent them. §CollectiveBargainingAgreement: Encompasses rules and conditions concerning wages, schedules, working conditions, and aspects of bargaining.  

History of Collective Bargaining

§1960S – STRONG GAINS IN UNIONIZATION IN NURSING WITH LARGE NUMBERS OF NURSES ORGAINZED IN THE VAHOSPITALS ACROSS THE US.  IN 1969 RNs REPRESENTED WENT FROM 8000 TO 30,000.§1970s –  ORGANIZED RNs JUMPED TO 90,000 AND MORE THAN 100 CBAs WERE NEGOTIATED FOR NURSES.§1980s – WHILE US LABOR UNIONIZATION IN ALL FIELDS DECREASED OR STAYED STEADY, NURSINGINCREASED ITS NUMBERS ORGANIZED.  STRIKE IN MINNESOTA OF 6000 RNs ACROSS 17 HOSPITALS FOR 39 DAYS RESULTED IN NURSES’ SETTLEMENT OF CONTRACT AT ORIGINAL OFFER.§1990s – MAJOR REDESIGN OF NURSING, JOB CUTS, CAUSED STRONG UNION RESPONSE RE: PATIENTSAFETY. ALSO MAJOR FOCUS ON REDUCING MANDATORY OT AND FLOATING, INCREASING STAFFING.§2007 – ALMOST 20% OF US RNs ORGANIZED, UNITED AMERICAN NURSES (UAN) LARGEST, CA RNs (NNOC) NEXT, SEIU HEALTHCARE, AND 7 OTHER NON-HEALTH CARE UNIONS (AFSCME) REPRESENT OVER220,000 RNs.§2015 – TODAY MORE THAN 25% OF NURSES IN US REPRESENTED.