#healthcarecoop

[cosmoshiden]

On nurses unions

This is not going to be my usual rant about Firefly or my Gundam commentaries. At this moment, I will discuss my views on a specific type of labor union. Particularly, a nurse’s union. But first let us establish what a labor union is. The idea behind labor unions are that they are organizations formed by workers and negotiated by management to arrange for workers’ rights and benefits (for example, safe working environments, paid vacation time, equal pay, fair hours, severance pay, the right to not be fired on a whim, etc.). Now while the idea may be sound, the way this is carried out is by general strikes, pickets, sit-downs, and plea bargaining with management, which is nice and all. However, a problem arises in that in the event that a workplace changes management, the negociated contract needs to be renewed with the new boss in change. This is especially in a nurses’ union, where if management is changed, then the nurses would have to negotiate and plea bargain for a contract renewal. The question to be asked here is, should plea bargaining, demonstration tactics and negotiation through a labor union be the defacto method for nurses to obtain their rights? That I will attempt to answer below.

One of the ways that unions operate is by bureaucracy which stands to represent and lead workers in arranging a contract for their rights with management. This is especially when it comes to nurses unions, such as one in British Columbia, Canada. In fact, on their homepage, it is mentioned that they encourage “leadership” under the value of Excellence and equal rights through “representation” under the category of Democracy. What is meant by this? This entails that representatives are to be elected by the nurses to represent their demands from management. Yet this way of communication between management and nurses is limiting, which I shall explain next.

A problem arises insofar as by having representatives speak on the nurses behalf, this takes away their voices. In other words, the nurses can’t speak for themselves and thus remain passive and reliant on an authority within their union. By having representatives do their talking, this makes a nurses’ union hierarchical and no different from the very bureaucratic processes that it is supposed to oppose. As such, this leads into representatives resembling management. Now we shall go into the problem of a nurses’ union under a manager.       

One of the drawbacks for a nurses’ union or any other labor union is that, it is under the thumb of a boss or management-class. Under the management-class, the union is subject to the whims of the bosses, and can decide to remove benefits or infringe on rights. Also, as stated above this is made worse when new management moves in and disregards the contract established by the previous boss. Thus, boss/management classes are feudal tyrants in the workplace. So, what is the alternative? 

Rather than a union, nurses should push for a nurses’ co-operative. A co-operative is best described as a workplace and business without a manager, and is self-managed by the workers. Or to simply put it as the Canadian Worker Cooperative Federation states, the workers own and control a business. In this case, should nurses in British Columbia or all of Canada push for this, they would have control over their work environment and receive benefits and equal rights, without the need of representatives and managers to plea bargain, or rather beg for their rights and benefits. Now how could this be achieved?

One way is by seizing control of a hospital or healthcare center that is about to be closed down, via sit-in, lock-up, picket, demonstration, and mutual support to open a healthcare cooperative. Another is by locking up a hospital and healthcare clinic and bringing arms such as clubs, bats, chains, knives, guns, molotov, and crowbars. The latter case is in the event that police and riot squads show up to put down a protest. The former case is a good starting point, but doesn’t resolve the issue for nurses. As such, be prepare to rumble with the man!

So, does this mean that nurses should have to rely on third-party representatives? NO!

Should nurses simply beg for their rights and benefits? NO!

Is management always willing to negotiate while nurses stand on their knees? NO!

Must nurses remain passive and hope that anyone in authority will hear their cries? The answer is still NO!

Direct action be it through an ecology of change of a combined strategy and tactics of active non-violence and armed resistance is the best way to win the day. Likewise, Robert Franklin Williams believed that there must be “flexibility in the freedom movement”, and I believe a diverse sense of direct action is in order to achieving a co-op for nurses. 

One last thing, All Bosses Are Bastards.