Unionization in healthcare: background and trends.

摘要

Lists of the top ten healthcare issues typically do not identify unionizing as a key industry concern, but they probably should. This column will be published in two parts. This first part examines the history of unionizing in healthcare, current trends, and predictions for the future. The second part, which will appear in the next issue of JHM, offers healthcare executives some strategies and guidelines for dealing with unionizing. The role of the Internet in union organizing and solicitation campaigns, collective bargaining, and contract administration is game changing. Of particular concern is the ability of unions to create and sustain e-relationships with your employees and to nurture their activism electronically-all without management's awareness. In addition, some union efforts are focusing on transforming the community, usually a hospital's supportive stakeholder, into a nonsupportive stakeholder.