History
The bargaining units which comprise PASNAP were originally organized in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s by the Pennsylvania Nurses Association (PNA). However, the majority of PNA's members remained managers (and unable to form a labor union under the National Labor Relations Act) or associate members outside formal collective bargaining units.
Unionized members of PNA became increasingly dissatisfied with the poor representation and low militancy of the nurses association. In 1994, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) raided PNA's private-sector and Temple University Health System bargaining units. SEIU District 1199P raided PNA in 1997, taking over a large unit of state-employed nurses and health professionals. Never eager to engage in collective bargaining, PNA voluntarily shed its remaining collective bargaining unit (composed of nurses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education) by holding an election in which the nurses agreed to affiliate with the Office and Professional Employees International Union.
The bargaining units which affiliated with PSEA became known as PSEA HealthCare. But the nurses proved restive under PSEA's leadership as well. Seeking to retain their affiliation, PSEA HealthCare sought dual affiliation with a union better able to provide collective bargaining representation as well as expertise in professional issues. PSEA and PSEA HealthCare leaders agreed to dually affiliate the nursing division with the Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (FNHP), the health care division of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
However, a number of local union leaders within PSEA HealthCare felt the nurses should disaffiliate from PSEA and form an independent union. At a national meeting of unionized nurses sponsored by the California Nurses Association (CNA) in March 2000, CNA staff approached PSEA HealthCare leaders and suggested forming an independent nurses association associated (but not affiliated) with CNA. Many of the PSEA nurse leaders were receptive to the idea. Although the executive board of PSEA HealthCare approved the dual affiliation with the AFT, 12 local unions (primarily located in southeastern Pennsylvania) held their own meeting on May 24, 2000, and disaffiliated from PSEA. PSEA brought the issue before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In October 2000, in what was described as a Solomonic decision because it "split the difference," the Pittsburgh region of the NLRB ruled that each local union was free to do as it wished. Seven bargaining units with about 1,000 members became dual affiliates of AFT and PSEA. This organization became known as HealthCare PSEA. The 12 other bargaining units, with a membership of about 3,500, formed PASNAP. The PASNAP nurses hired Bill Cruice, a lawyer and former organizer with the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (an AFT affiliate), as the organization's executive director.
PASNAP formed its alliance with the CNA, and modeled its organizational structure on that of CNA as well.
Read more about this topic: Pennsylvania Association Of Staff Nurses And Allied Professionals
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