What is a union?

A union is an organized group of people who use their collective power to have a say in their workplace. Through our union, we will have the power and the rights to directly impact wages, work hours, benefits, workplace health and safety, job training and other work-related issues.

Why should I form a union at my workplace?

By forming a union with our colleagues at our workplaces, we get to collectively negotiate for better wages, improved working conditions, and enhanced patient care standards. Union representation ensures that our voice is heard in decisions affecting our safety, job security, and professional rights. As healthcare workers in a union, we have the strength to advocate for reasonable staffing levels, access to protective equipment, and fair scheduling, ultimately leading to a safer environment for both staff and patients. Unionizing fosters solidarity, giving us the power to create meaningful change that prioritizes both worker well-being and quality healthcare delivery.

Without a union, decisions are left to disconnected and profit-driven executives and administrators - many of whom have not worked at the bedside in years, if ever! We know the needs of our workplaces, professional standards, and patients best. We can’t leave it to chance and that is why we must unionize to ensure our seat at the table.

Who runs the union?

We do!

Unions are democratic organization run by us, the members. We will elect our own officers and vote on all issues of importance, including our contract.

Why should I organize my workplace with the ONA?

The Ohio Nurses Association is a union of healthcare professionals all across Ohio who are advocating for a voice on the job, job safety, and improved staffing. As the union of nurses in Ohio, the ONA has been at the forefront of advocating for improved working conditions and better patient care for over 100 years. The vast majority of Ohio’s unionized nurses are proud members of the ONA.

The ONA is a union of and by healthcare professionals. We know healthcare because we work in it.

What is the AFT?

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Nurses and Health Professionals is the fastest growing healthcare union in the nation representing healthcare professionals, such as nurses, techs, doctors, support staff, and more. The AFT is the second largest nurses’ union in the country.

ONA affiliated with the AFT several years ago to be more equipped to take on the rapidly changing healthcare industry and to have more power to take on fights from the bedside to the boardrooms to the legislative halls.

Additionally, we appreciate that AFT is a member-driven union. Once we form own local, we will maintain autonomy to be able to advocate for the issues that are most important to us while being supported by the ONA and the AFT.

What have ONA/AFT members won at their workplaces?

ONA members at the Ohio State University Nurses Organization have an impressive track record of coming together and winning! The OSUNO union has successfully negotiated some of the country’s strongest staffing ratios language into their collective bargaining agreement.

Like at the ONA, AFT Members across the country are fighting for: minimum staffing requirements; robust training and education infrastructure; a safe environment, free of violence and hazards; and stringent standards that prioritize patients and workers over profit.

In addition to winning significant gains in their workplace union contracts, AFT Nurses have been on the front-lines at the legislative level winning staffing and workplace violence protections in several states.

What are dues?

In addition to having significant power in numbers, we also have power by pooling our resources. Dues help to make sure we have the tools to engage in the priorities that matter to us as a group. 

All members will be asked to pay dues after our first contract is negotiated and after we vote to ratify that contract. As a member-driven organization, the dues are established by our organization’s democratic decision making structure.

It is common for members to have their dues deducted from their paychecks automatically. 

Dues are used to cover the cost of organizing, negotiating, and enforcing our contract, legal and staff support. Additionally, they include per capita dues paid to the ONA, AFT National, and the AFL-CIO. We will get to make decisions about how our own local union’s treasury is utilized. 

No one pays dues until there is a ratified contract in place. Dues are generally mitigated by any increases in salary and other benefits as negotiated into our contract.