Questions Team Members Should Ask Union Organizers

1. If the union is voted in here, how long will it be before we have our first signed contract? A week? a month? six months? a year? more than a year? Is there any time limit for how long it can take? How long did it take for NNU/NNOC-FL to reach its first contract with HCA? We do not know how long it will take before you have your first contract. There are a lot of factors that determine this, the most important being the strength and unity of the RN members at your hospital. HCA Florida took around 18 months. There is no time limit for negotiations. Keep in mind though that things are not stagnant during contract negotiations. Once the union is voted in your working conditions and benefits are secured so the hospital cannot make any future cuts. You will also have Weingarten rights, which is your right to representation at any meeting that could result in investigation of discipline. During contract negotiations nurses continue to build their union and collectively address and work on issues throughout their hospital.

2. What actually happens at the bargaining table? Is it possible that I could end up with less in terms of benefits and wages as the result of bargaining? Your Nurse negotiating team is comprised of elected RNs, ideally representative of the major areas of the hospital, and a lead negotiator who is staff with NNOC and is experienced in contract negotiations. Management and the Union negotiating teams go back and forth on proposals until a tentative agreement (meaning both sides agree) is reached. When all the proposals are tentatively agreed upon, the contract will go to a vote before the RN membership where nurses vote whether or not they accept the contract and where they get an opportunity to look at the proposals and ask the bargaining team questions. Wages and benefits are part of negotiations and negotiations start at what you currently have. In 2003, a three member panel of the National Labor Relations Board ruled that an employer may NOT deny benefits or pay during negotiations and that hinting or threatening to do so is illegal. The quote from the labor boards decision states It is settled law that when employees are represented by a labor organization their employer may not make unilateral changes in their terms and conditions of employment. This duty to maintain the status quo imposes an obligation upon the employer not only to maintain what it has already given its employees, but also to implement benefits that have become conditions of employment by virtue of prior commitment or practice. We know you want to build on and improve benefits and wages, not negotiate less!

3. Will you guarantee in writing that I will get the wage and benefit increases you are promising, or that the union can stop changes to shift differentials? There are no guarantees in bargaining except that you start negotiating from where you are. NNOC is not promising you wage and benefit increases since Nurses decide what are negotiated in your contract. However, NNOC has a strong history of successfully negotiating significant wage increases and language that maintains or improves benefits. We have contracts from our Florida Hospitals that you can take a look at as examples of what other Florida RNs have won through collective bargaining. Collective bargaining does provide you with additional protection to cuts since the hospital would not be able to implement future cuts without Nurses agreement. 4. Can the union actually force the hospital to bargain over things like who our leaders are? I am not sure who the leaders are this question is referencing. Your Union Nurse leaders are decided democratically. Hospital leadership will continue to be decided by the hospital. 5. Exactly how much are monthly dues? Can you guarantee in writing that they wont go up once the union gets in? Dues are about an hour of your base pay per pay period. No one pays dues until after the full contract is negotiated, reviewed, voted on and approved by a majority of the nurses. Contracts with NNOC/NNU more than cover the cost of dues and a contract protects against cuts that impact your pay check and the patient care you provide. Then only way dues would increase is if the membership decided through a democratic process to increase the rate. 6. What exactly does the union use dues money for? Can you show me a copy of your LM-2s? Attached is a flyer that breaks down what dues are used for. LM2s are public information you can find online. 7. Can the union take money from me (other than dues) out of my paycheck? No. The union does not take any money other than dues you authorize from your paycheck. 8. If the union wins the election, will I have to be represented by NNU/SEIU? If the union is voted in the union is required to provide representation to all Nurses in the bargaining unit and all Nurses will receive the benefits negotiated in the contract.

9. If the union calls me out on an economic strike and Orlando Health hires a permanent replacement to take my job, can the union guarantee that they will find me another job so I can still pay my bills and support my family? There are a couple of important things to remember about strikes. First of all, no one is forced to strike. Strikes can happen only after the old contract expires and before a new contract is agreed to by both parties. The issue(s) in dispute must be critically urgent to all to consider such drastic measures. Only RNs at your own hospital can decide in a secret ballot vote to strike and the results must be almost unanimous. The majority of strikes that NNOC has done have been noneconomic strikes. The number one reason why nurses vote to strike is for patient care reasons. We would not put employees in a situation where they could be replaced, such as: an illegal strike (in healthcare a union must give at least 10 days notice prior to a strike, failure to do so constitutes an illegal strike), an openended strike (most of our strikes are a very short defined period, 1-5 days), or an economic strike that was not connected with an unfair labor practice (employees cannot be replaced in this scenario). The welfare of nurses and patients is our number one priority during a strike.

10. Will the union provide us with a copy of the International Constitution and Local By-Laws before we vote, so that we know what union rules we would have to follow? NNOC does not have local by-laws but we have local operating guidelines. I can provide you with a copy of these if you would like to see them.

Remember: These questions are an attempt to scare you and make them question supporting a union. You being part of organizing or supporting a union is not about your manger but is about your ability to advocate for your profession and your patients on a system wide level. The question you should be asking yourself is. Why is the organization so against Nursing having a union? If they are doing what is in our best interest, why are they afraid of a union? Please notify the NNU ASAP if you are aware or witness of any violations of union busting that managers or administration engage in.