This information was published on the Ohio Nurses Association website on June 3rd. ONA has hired a labor organizer. See www.ohnurses.org.
1. The majority of ONAs membership is union and collective bargaining nurses so hiring an union organizer to organize and grow the association probably makes sense.
2. Ohio is hotbed of healthcare and nursing-focused union activity with the SEIU and California Nurses Association/NNOC. The three C's are hot I am told: Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. ONA is a union and a professsional association and will attempt to organize RNs.
3. How will this impact ONAs relationship and participation in Nursing 2015, the collaboration between the Ohio Nurses Association, Ohio Hospital Association, and the Ohio Organization of Nurse Executives? See http://nursing2015.wordpress.com/
I must say ONA would not have been able to pull off its work on the Staffing Legislation in Ohio without the buy-in from the Nurse Execs and Hospital Association and Nursing 2015. http://www.ohnurses.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2849
The hospital association is strong in Ohio. Is the State Hospital Association strong and well-funded in your state?
In Kentucky, there has been a whistleblower law on the books for years but it has no teeth. The Kentucky Nurses Association is making this a legislative priority. See http://www.kentucky-nurses.org/legplatform2008.htm. Will a partnership like Nursing 2015 in Ohio be needed in Kentucky for the Kentucky Nurses Association to successfully lobby for "teeth" in 1998 Patient Safety Act?
In your opinion should state nursing associations, state hospital associations, and state organizations of nurse executives partner and collaborate on projects for nursing and nurses? Is it necessary? Is it needed?
However there are some who nurses and other nursing unions arguing that what's proposed by ONA and the compromises made related to the buy-in are not enough. See http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2008/january/ohio-nurses-to-testify-wednesday-against-hospital-industry-s-fake-healthcare-reform-bill.html.
Personally, and this is my opinion so please no phone calls or correspondence. I think any collaboration between an state association of nurse executvies, state nursing association/nursing union, and state hospital association is "skin-deep."
I am sure that opinions differ and you of course can have a different opinion than mine on Nursing 2015. I respect that and only ask that you in turn respect my opinion. This "implied and expressed waiver of the agreement of a agreement" is needed in nursing circles because for some reason "as nurses we must all agree at all times."
I chuckled when someone mentioned to me last year that another "O" may be brought on board in the future with the collaboration between the Ohio Nurses Association, Ohio Organization of Nurse Executives, and the Ohio Hospital Association; I immediately assumed it would be Oprah.
In my opinion it remains to be seen whether 2015 is the real thing or whether its one of those things that looks good on paper and makes you feel "warm" inside like Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante. http://www.toastwines.com/121299.
But really how does it impact the working environment, employment terms and conditions, and the power and bargaining disparity in the relationship between individual nurses and a nursing employer? This is the sniff test national, state, and specialty nursing associations should use to determine whether a project, partnership, or collaboration is a go or a blow.
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