This information is posted on the Ohio Nurses Association website (see www.ohnurses.org) and is available on the Cincinnati Business Courier's website. See http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/03/10/daily23.html.
The elections were canceled because of the protests waged by the California Nurses Association and its national arm, the NNOC. Members of the CNA/NNOC were on the Catholic Health Partners campus encouraging nurses not to support the SEIU.
The elections would have involved 8,000 registered nurses and other employees at nine hospitals in Cincinnati, Lima and Springfield. That included Mercy Health Partners, which operates hospitals in Fairfield, Anderson Township, Mount Airy, Western Hills and Clermont County.
Its interesting that Catholic Health Partners filed for the election without any showing of support for SEIU representation.
Ohio for whatever reason is becoming a hotbed for collective bargaining activity. RNs at Catholic Health Partners should have a choice in selecting union representation. There are several unions available to represent the 8,000 RNs including the Ohio Nurses Association, California Nurses Association/NNOC, and the SEIU.
8,000 RNs would essentially double the membership of the Ohio Nurses Association. It would give the CNA/NNOC a "toe hold" here in Ohio and it would add a notch to the SEIU's representation of healthcare workers in Ohio as the SEIU is currently negotiating a contract with the State of Ohio to represent over 7,000 independent providers.
I have a nose for litigation and this is going to be a fight. Yours truly will keep you posted. What is your opinion of unions in nursing? For or against and why?
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