Unionization: boon or bane?
Again, you only get a union if you deserve one, and you get the union you deserve. Collective bargaining in a professional milieu indicates an unhealthy environment, is incredibly cumbersome, and--perhaps most concerning--is phenomenally expensive, as measured in terms of fiscal resources, human resources, and energies. Moreover, time lost in collective bargaining reduces institutional flexibility and responsiveness. But more important, the collective bargaining process imposes an additional administrative layer and extra legal and contract implementation fees and adds mistrust into a professional setting that requires total trust along with professional competence. Thus, resources are diverted that could be better devoted to excellent patient care and professional salaries. The process of maintaining a union-free environment is well worth the effort. In the end, administration, nursing personnel, and, most important, patient care are positively impacted by an open, flexible environment. In short, within a healthy union-free environment, everyone wins!