The Role Of Unionization In The Healthcare Industry

Decent Essays
Unionization has been on a decline in the United States; however it is on the rise in the healthcare industry ever more since the National Labor Relations Board has made it easier for procedures for representation elections. (The Business Journal, May 28, 2015). In the healthcare industry nurses are the larger portion belonging to a union. Most healthcare workers join unions, because they want their voices heard and they often disagree with work related issues imposed by management. To avoid unionization, management must allow their employees to participate in decisions relating to their job and address any occurring discontent (The Business Journal, May 28, 2015). With good employee engagement in decisions, workers will see that

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The main argument in "Revisiting Union Decline" is the decline of unions from 1970-2008, because of different causes. The main reason for U.S decline is result from institutional that capital benefits from labor. There’s 5 reasons in the reading that explains why capital was an advantaged and why labor was an disadvantaged. One, labor policy. In "Revisiting Union Decline" pg 8-9 governed by the National Labor Relations Acts—Kochan et al.…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Several factors contributed to private sector union decline and public sector union growth. Labor unions in the United Stated began forming in the 1800s and since then they have gone through diverse working environments which at some stages increased or decreased their union membership. In the private sector the huge impact that led to the decline of union membership was largely felt when Congress passed the Taft-Hartley of Labor Management Relations Act of 1947. The public sector union membership started growing in the 1960s and 1970s, when the baby boomers entered the workforce.…

    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    When there is a disagreement, the union leadership and management are familiar with one another and understand each other position. Also, as terms are agreed to, it affects the entire population. This will also reduce perceptions…

    • 180 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    At one time unions were very popular in companies for a variety of reasons. Before there were laws that advocated for the employee, unions were put into place to make sure employees were being protected and treated fairly by employers. Unions are on the decline in today’s society because of the new laws and their overall cost. While they are on the decline, unions are still very much present and Congress are currently hearing arguments as to why the NLRA, the act that can initially vote in a union, should be amended. Whether it is through an official election or just the signing of unionization cards, unions are established through the work of the NRLA and NRLB.…

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With a union in place, employees will feel more confident about speaking up about issues within the company (Holly Jr., Jennings, & Wolters, 2012, 2009, 2005). Major Benefits of Organizing a Union The main objective to organize a union at Methodist le Bonheur Hospital is to obtain the maximum pay for union members and to improve working conditions for all union members. The employees hope to create a more pleasurable work environment for all parties involved.…

    • 1688 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The healthcare facilities and the union have managed to work together to reach compromises (Sanders and McCutcheon, ####). Besides improving wages, hours, and benefits, the union promise to improve the number one concern for all nurses which is patient care (Sanders and McCutcheon, ####). Patient care can be related to nurses’ working conditions, which can influence their job performance and eventually affect the quality of care. Unions gives nurses a stronger voice in their organization, which allows them to fight for what they believe in, the better good for the patients.…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Unions have a long time history across the United States globe. In the article is says, "Union worker, benefits include higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. Labor unions also represent the voice of their members. Meaning they voice theirs owns opinion about things.…

    • 206 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Collective bargaining is defined as the process of negotiation between employers and employees with aim of improving the workplace in someway. This being said, collective bargaining and the formation of using unions came about to help fix nursing environments, safe staffing ratios, and the elimination of mandatory overtime (Mason et al., 2014). Overall, by the strides of collective bargaining nursing have positively impacted the nursing workforce by improving nursing satisfaction as well as patient outcomes (Mason et al.,…

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Code Green: Money-Driven Hospitals and the Dismantling of Nursing, written by Dana Beth Weinberg, reveals the story of the merging of two hospitals in 1996, the Beth Israel and the New England Deaconess, to form a unified Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). Code Green identifies many hardships present at BIDMC, such as: changes in the hospital industry, merging of two dissimilar nursing models, dismantling of nursing, power struggle, unsafe patient care, and restructuring strategies (Weinberg, 2003). As a result of rising health care costs and large financial losses for BIDMC, nursing administration created a cost saving plan consisting of cutting staff. Nurses quickly began to feel the effects as patient loads increased and care was often cut short to perform other duties (Weinberg, 2003). Shortly after the merger, nurses complained about declining patient care which hospital administration saw as resistance to change; however, nurses were concerned about lack of time to evaluate and monitor patients, understand and plan for their needs, and provide basic physical care (Weinberg, 2003).…

    • 2151 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Nursing Unions Cons

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Often unions use strikes as a strategy when they do not get the contract settlement they are looking for. This can have a negative impact on nursing care. A nurse is not just about a professional license, but the ethical implications that we as nurses can put other’s needs before ourselves. The public looks upon this as negative when we are willing to leave the bedside due to wages, etc. Organizations, such as hospitals, see this and find replacement…

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In addition, nursing has emerged as one of the hottest career choices today. The healthcare industry cannot operate without them, and they are a force to be reckoned with. Because of the high demand for the services they provide, the labour union will serve as the voice for the nurses as it relates to their workload, work environment, perceived treatment by healthcare leaders and physicians, and most importantly the value they bring to the workforce. Union membership will empower the nurses to voice their disagreement with their work environment, wages, and health benefits…

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rachel, you made a good point when you stated “collective bargaining is defined as the process that working people negotiate through contracts with their employer that will determine their terms of employment and all of the benefits. Rachel, collective bargaining plays a great part within a company. It is very important to form an employer to employee relationship when dealing with collective bargaining (Walsh, 2013). When dealing with the negations of contacts within a heath care provider, the negotiations skills are a part of the social worker contracting. The key in managed care contract is to arrive at an agreement or a coherent framework for treatment for a flexible payment plan (Humphrey, 2007).…

    • 151 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Faced with poor working conditions, unionizing was a way to gain something together. Workers felt the need to protect their common interests; better wages, reasonable hours, safer working conditions, and health benefits for families, and some died trying to change America (Falcon, 2003). Unfortunately, employers often fought back with power and money against the union through lawsuits and legislation, but sometimes with an armed mob of mercenaries (Grabianowski). Interestingly, The Pinkerton Detective Agency discovered there were profits to be made as mercenaries. Their job would be to escort scab workers to the company, intimidate strikers, and prevent strikers from damaging property.…

    • 399 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Nursing Unions

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the United States, there is an ongoing debate about the viability and usefulness of unions in the workplace. A union is an organized group of workers who work together and use their strength to have a voice in the workplace (“How do unions work,” n.d.). The healthcare industry has become one of the main targets of union organizing efforts. Unions do not just focus on giving nurses a voice, but they also advocate for patients. Unions understand that in order to provide excellent patient care hospitals have to be adequately staffed.…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Perrin (2003), also defined engagement as the ‘employee willingness and ability to contribute to company success, through putting extra time, brain power and energy to their work’. According to Shuck and Wollard (2010), employee engagement is “an individual employee’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral state directed toward desired organizational outcomes”. The willingness on the part of employees to go to the extra mile than what they ever did before can be termed as engagement, in terms of business demands and client demands. This cannot be achieved alone, it works hand in hand with motivation, so these are the major dilemma faced by many managers and leaders today. How to continuously engage their employees to give the best out for the…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays