Nurses union on new ground Private sector efforts would form first of its kind in the state

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/5651791.html

By L.M. SIXEL
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

In the world of union organizing, 275 workers isn't a big campaign. That is, unless they're registered nurses working for a private-sector hospital, a group that isn't organized anywhere in Texas, at least for now.

The city's huge medical community is watching closely to see whether nurses at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital vote this week to join the California Nurses Association's National Nurses Organizing Committee.

The union, which despite its name represents 80,000 nurses nationwide, moved into Texas last year and launched an organizing drive at the Tenet Healthcare-owned hospital. If CNA wins, the hospital would be the first in Texas whose nurses would be represented as a group by a union, according to officials from the Texas Hospital Association.

Two nurses who are supporting the union say the campaign is more about patient-care concerns than wages or benefits. In fact, said Jeanette Thornhill, the hospital is "truly a wonderful place to work" and the wages, which range from about $27 to $33 an hour, are good.

While they want guaranteed wage increases, higher on-call pay and a pension plan beyond the hospital's 401(k) program, the focus is more on higher nurse-to-patient ratios.

"We want a voice at the table when health care decisions are being made," said Christopher Williams, a fellow registered nurse who works in the heart-monitoring unit with Thornhill. "We want to be advocates for our clients — our patients."

FULL story at link.