Working with Labor Unions

     Unions are often in the news, especially during election cycles. The unions in Wisconsin have been a controversial topic because of the dramatic reduction in pay and benefits for some union members, especially the teachers' union. Some news sources have reported that the incoming presidential administration will be less tolerant and accepting of unions. In my own profession, I have heard colleagues talk about how much they dislike unions and horror tales of bad behavior because of overly protective unions. 
    When I first started in administration, I did not have a clear grasp on how unions and administration worked together. It was a sobering process. Prior, I was a union member for nearly 8 years, but my history in the union was always a positive. I received great tuition benefits that helped me earn an BA in Economics, yearly cost of living increases, and low out-of-pocket comprehensive medical expenses. Most of my friends in the union used the child care benefits, attended the union holiday party and meetings. 
       I hope to dispel two myths: union and administration have a difficult time working together and unions are bad for healthcare. 

Myth 1: Unions and administration have a difficult time working together. In my experience, as a union member and as administration, I've been on both sides of the issue. In academic medical centers, the union members are generally clerical and technical employees; whereas in hospitals, generally the nurses, clerical and some technical staff are unionized. My experience is primarily with union members in an academic medical center. 

      There is truth to these myths, however, much can be mitigated if both groups have a clear sense of mission and purpose. Most times conflict can happen between the two groups for these reasons:

• No shared goals: Patient or participant care should always be first. The team should function based on the mission, vision and values of the organization. When conflicts arise, always circle back to the core values to find compromise, because it underlies how we should interact with each other, do our work, and which strategies we employ to fulfill the mission.
• Low expectations: It's not a requirement to have a college degree to hold certain positions, but that does not mean union employees don't have exceptional talents that can't be utilized. It reminds me of Undercover Boss, when the bosses discover the talent, dedication and care that employees put into the business to ensure its success.  On the flip side, I believe in continuing education and training as needed. Set high expectations for all employees, but provide them with the tools to be successful. 
• Poor management: This may ruffle some feathers, but management has to recognize its own weakness and fill in the gaps. We've all known managers who can be tense, authoritarian, poor project managers, etc. Management must know the work, but also how to lead and get along well with others. Working in a high-stakes industry like healthcare, the pressure is on from multiple regulatory and governmental agencies, patients, CMS, the Board of Directors, community agencies, and many others. This is why it's critical for all staff in the medical center to successfully work together. 

Myth 2: Unions are bad for healthcare. I believe unions are in place to protect some of our most valued staff members and to ensure good working conditions. The benefits the union offered to me (as I mentioned) were invaluable. If a company has good management practices, there should be few issues between union members and administration. Certainly, there will be disagreements, as we've seen in the form of worker strikes and dismantling of unions. However, many union members are doing incredibly valuable and essential work in non-profit sectors for much lower compensation than they would receive in the for-profit sector. They are also doing jobs that keep the foundation of the organization running and allow management time to focus on the strategic and financial priorities. 

There will always be conflict but circling back to the mission, vision and values should get working relationships back on a positive track.