This information is posted on the SEIU 1199 website:
Congratulations Ohio Independent Providers! Friday September 28th, the American Arbitration Association counted ballots in your Home Care Election and you won by a big margin: 1726 voted to be represented by SEIU 1199. Only 328 people voted against forming a union. That’s almost 85%! And while we should all feel good about this victory, there’s still A LOT of work to do. Negotiations with the state will probably begin in January, which means we’ve got about 3 months to elect our negotiating committee and put together our proposals. To help bring it all together we’ll be hosting an Independent Provider conference in Columbus on November 29th and 30th, so make sure you save the date. See http://ltc.seiu1199.org/blogs/we_won_1726-328/archive/2007/09/28/1726-to-328.aspx.
There are several hundred and may a thousand or so, Ohio IPs who are registered nurses and licensed practical nurses and function as small business owners essentially.
Do you think SEIU representation will hurt, hinder, or help the professional practice of nursing in the State of Ohio?
Do you think a union like the SEIU that includes a variety of occupations does a better job with adminstering a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and addressing the workplace and professional practice needs of its membership than a union devoted exclusively to one occupation or profession? For example, the UAN (see www.uannurse.org) and the Ohio Nurses Association (www.ohnurses.org) only represent RNs.
Do you think it matters? Or is a union a union a union in your opinion? Do you think RNs should only be represented by a RN union and LPNs by a LPN union? Do you think RNs and LPNs should be represented by a nursing union?
Regardless of how you feel about healthcare unions and nurses, this is a significant step for the SEIU and the organized healthcare labor movement in Ohio. Will we see more healthcare organizing efforts of nurses in central, southern, or northern Ohio?
Comments