The nurse's union

I missed this story from last week about the new nurses' union in town, but having been reminded of it, I thought it was worth pointing out.

It's only been a few days since the California Nurses Association won its first victory in Texas by organizing 275 registered nurses at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital, but it's already setting its sights on the future.

While the union's initial order of business is to move toward getting a contract for its newest members, it's also using the momentum to sign up other nurses who work for health care facilities in Houston and around Texas.

"It's simply big," said Ed Bruno, organizing coordinator for the union's National Nurses Organizing Committee in Tampa, Fla. "Texas warrants attention on its own."

And, he said, the union is finding that many nurses are interested in its message of improving nurse-patient ratios, adding whistle-blower protections and providing a voice at work.

The nationwide union that represents 80,000 registered nurses is relishing its win at the Tenet Healthcare-owned hospital. The victory also is sending some shock waves through the health care community.

Houston employment lawyer Michael Muskat, who represents companies in employment disputes, speculated that the California Nurses Association is likely eyeing other Tenet-owned hospitals in Houston.

Besides Cy-Fair, Tenet owns two others: Houston Northwest Medical Center and Park Plaza Hospital.

The campaign probably wasn't just centered on nurse-to-patient staffing ratios but had something to do with less-than-ideal communications between management and staff, said Muskat.

As Racy Mind puts it, "How many times before in the history of the labor movement has a union organizing effort been largely not about more money for the worker, but about working conditions and the safety of someone other than the worker?" I'm sure pay issues will come up as well, but that's a provocative thought. Best of luck to the CNA in its efforts to recruit more members, and for its future lobbying efforts on these same issues before the Lege in 2009.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on April 12, 2008 to Bidness