What is a union?
What is SEIU Healthcare Minnesota?
Do we have a right to form a union?
How can forming a healthcare union with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota improve staffing and patient care?
What kind of job improvements can we expect with a union?
How much are union
dues?
Who makes decisions in SEIU Healthcare Minnesota?
What can we expect from hospital management during the process?
Will we be able to maintain a direct relationship with hospital administration if we form a union?
Can we lose our benefits if we form a union?
Does forming a union mean we'll have to go on strike?
What is a union?
A union is an organization of workers who join together in order to have a
voice in improving their jobs and the quality of care for their patients.
What is SEIU Healthcare Minnesota?
We are more than 17,000 health care workers across the heartland that are
united to build strong communities, a health care system that works for
everyone, and to restore the American Dream. The Service Employees
International Union (SEIU) unites nearly one million health care workers
nationwide. SEIU is the fastest-growing
union in North America, with 2 million total members in the United States, Canada,
and Puerto Rico.
Focused on uniting workers in four sectors–-hospital systems, long term care, property services, and public services–-SEIU is the
largest health care union, the largest property services union, and the
second-largest public employees union.
Do we have a right to form a union?
Yes. By law, health care employees have the freedom to form a union and work
together to improve patient care and the quality of their jobs. It's
illegal for your employer to intimidate, discriminate, or otherwise interfere
in your decision.
How can forming a healthcare union with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota improve staffing and patient care?
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members have negotiated a variety of provisions that improve
staffing and the quality of care, such as:
Improvements in wages, benefits, and working conditions in order to
attract and retain qualified staff.
Specific staffing and workload provisions, and other guidelines.
What kind of job improvements can we expect with a union?
After workers join together to form a union, they then sit down with management
to negotiate improvements. Those improvements are then guaranteed in a
contract. Union contracts usually include better:
Wages- guaranteed annual raises, pay steps that
reward experience and length of service, higher shift differentials,
certification and specialty bonuses, and other premium pay.
Benefits- Most SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members pay less for
health insurance than their non-contract co-workers and are continuing the
fight for quality, affordable health care for all.
Job Security- SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members have a fair
disciplinary process with union representation and members at Allina also have
achieved employment security that guarantees redeployment instead of layoffs.
How much are union dues?
For those working 40 hours or more per two week pay period:
Dues are 3.1 times the
employee's hourly rate of pay.
For those working 20 – 39 hours per two week pay period:
Dues are 2.7 times the employee’s hourly rate of pay.
For those working less than 20 hours per two week pay period:
Dues are 1.6 times the employee's hourly rate of pay.
There is no initiation fee for newly organized members, and new members
don’t pay dues until they have voted to approve a contract and are experiencing
the benefits of union membership. Dues are each member's investment
to ensure that our organization has the strength and resources to be
effective. The money is used to help more workers unite with us,
negotiate contracts and improve staffing, working conditions, patient care
standards, wages and benefits. There is a $69 per month cap on dues.
Who makes decisions in SEIU Healthcare Minnesota?
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota is a democratic organization. The employees who are members of
the union make all the primary decisions. Members vote on their union
contracts, elect union leaders, vote on bylaws and make other important
decisions. Our union is guided by the priorities of the members.
What can we expect from hospital management during the process?
Some hospital administrators respect the right of employees to make up their
own minds about forming a union and take a neutral position. Other
administrators oppose the idea, at least at first. Allowing employees to
participate in decision-making can be a big change, and accepting change is
never easy.
In cases where management opposes the idea of health care employees forming
a union, they may turn to outside consultants who specialize in persuading
employees not to form a union. These corporate consultants often spread
misinformation, so it is important to talk to a union organizer
to clear up any questions you may
have.
Most importantly, keep in mind that any tension that may arise during your
organizing effort is only temporary. Once you form your union and have
the means to solve problems on the job, your relationship with your supervisors
is likely to be better than ever.
Will we be able to maintain a direct relationship
with administration if we form a union?
Yes. Most employees say forming a union improves their relationship with
supervisors because everyone knows what to expect and there are clear ways to
resolve any problems that arise day-to-day. With SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, we share
in decision-making, and the needs of employees and patients are always taken
into account.
Can we lose our benefits if we form a union?
The purpose of negotiating a union contract is to preserve and improve
benefits, not lose them. When you sit down to negotiate a union contract, you
start with your existing pay and benefits and then negotiate
improvements. Because those improvements are written into a legally
binding contract that you've voted to approve, your pay and benefits are
guaranteed. At a time when many health care corporations are looking for
ways to cut costs, forming a union is the best way to protect your current
benefits.
Does forming a union mean we'll have to go on
strike?
No. No one, least of all health care professionals, ever wants to go on
strike—which is why about 98 percent of union contracts are settled without
one. Strikes are the exception, not the rule. More importantly, a decision to
go on strike is one that only you and your co-workers can make for yourselves
through a democratic vote. If members don't want to strike, there won't
be one- it's the members' decision to make.