Now that Dems in WH, Congress - UNIONIZE Health care workers, esp nurses..

[HardWorkingDem]

Before she passed away, my mother was a nurse and right now my aunt is one as well. Both have worked for a hospital that has fought unions for nurses all the way. These fine employees have almost no protection and the Dems should make it a priority to unionize health care workers.

It's time to take care of these workers and enact legislation that will push unions through.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

1. Caregivers in nursing homes and homecare workers make next to NOTHING

It's criminal. People are always going on about the critical shortage of these kinds of workers we are facing with the aging population but can't be bothered to do anything about their wages and working conditions. Yes, unions are critical.

[Shakespeare]

2. That's true. SEIU has been working hard to unionize them for the past few years.

Hopefully, they'll have more luck now with Obama in office.

[Sinistrous]

4. Not only are their wages a disgrace,

but they are treated little better than chattel by administrators and supervisors. They have no say in their working conditions. They can be fired on the flimsiest evidence and have no recourse or avenue for rebuttal.

The overwhelming majority of the health care workers are dedicated, extremely decent human beings. My observation is that they are a breed apart -- they have to be to put up with the essential duties they have to perform, but also to put up with the abuse and disrespect they get from management.

There is no group of workers more in need of strong Union representation.

[moondust]

3. Been there, seen it happen.

Nurses in a hospital where I worked in the 90s voted to unionize but only after the hospital administration called in what I believe was a professional union-busting outfit that indeed fought it all the way. I think the nurses' main issue was mandatory overtime--standard practice of extra long shifts and always too heavy a patient load.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. Union busting is a billion dollar industry. nt

[HardWorkingDem]

6. That is exactly what happened at my mother's hospital..

The admin brought in professional union busters and then relied upon misguided and misinformed co-workers to prevent any such unionizing. It made me sick to stand back and watch, especially since I am in an occupation with union protection. If only these people would realize it is better to be a member, than not to be one. And the Dems should be doing whatever they can to strengthen the rights of workers.