Anyone familiar with the healthcare industry knows that managed care, mergers, restructuring and cost-containment are the buzzwords of the last decade. Healthcare has evolved into a money-making venture, often resulting in cutthroat competition between healthcare providers for lucrative managed care contracts.

Who is watching out for patients? The only organization that has the authority in most states to oversee hospital quality is the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCHAO).

Do you want a union in your workplace?

A union is a group of employees who band together to set their own goals and achieve them. To reach these goals, the workers negotiate a contract with the employer.

AFT Healthcare can assist you in creating your own member-driven organization to achieve your and your coworkers' goals.

You have a legal right to organize under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), a federal labor law. If you work in a public hospital, the rules for organizing will be governed by a state law that is similar to the NLRA.

Federal law protects your right to talk to your colleagues about organizing a union during work time. Federal law explicitly forbids employers from firing you for talking about, supporting or joining a union.

This booklet, written by the California Occupational Health & Safety Administration (CAL-OSHA), provides genereal guidance for employers and employeers on how to prevent back injury as a result of patient handling. (6/20/06)