Nursing Shortage and Nursing Unions: Cincinnati Enquirer article today

An article appears today in the Cincinnati Enquirer about the nursing shortage and how nurses at Mercy Hospitals/Catholic Health Partners want to belong to a union.

See  http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080324/NEWS01/803240319.

Are nursing unions the "cure" to the nursing shortage?

Comments

[Nurse Nancy, LPN]

At my current employment, there is a mandatory overtime clause in the SEIU contract, and Ohio labor law does not limit this kind of dangerous scheduling in any way. So, in my opinion, and from my limited experience, unions arent doing us very many favors.

There Is a bill being sponsored in the Ohio legislature at this time ( http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_185 ) that would eliminate mandatory overtime for RNs and LPNs. I strongly encourage anyone and everyone to call or write their representative asking them to support this bill.

NC.