I have a lot of friends that work in non-union hospitals. When their management makes a decision, there’s nothing they can do about it. That’s the way it has to be in a non-union hospital.
I say, “That’s wrong, I can express my voice through my union. We have the right to say yes or no, and we can address our concerns. We have a voice.” They respond, “Wow, you’re fortunate to be part of a union.”
As a union, we’re strong at St. Francis. We’re one of the highest paid hospitals. Management knows that before they make changes, they must get the input of our union. Our main goal is to work together to represent the nurses and advocate for the patients.
Still, negotiations are going to be really tough, after the last few years of a bad economy. What are our future goals? How can we run our units smoothly? The bargaining table is where we will talk and break down every issue. So let’s see what comes, and we’ll face it together.