To the Editor:

I am a nurse in the Emergency Department at Kent Hospital. I have over 30 years of experience in acute care nursing. On my move to Rhode Island I accepted a full time position in the Emergency Department.

Approximately two years ago some exploratory meetings were held concerning the possibility of a Union entering Kent Hospital. That Union is UNAP: United Nurses and Allied Professionals. UNAP.org.

I became vividly interested in the communication presented through two of its negotiators, also their constant vigil concerning our staffing concerns, and other organizational matters. I clearly encouraged other nurses to vote UNAP into Kent.

UNAP arrived at Kent. I became a unit representative. At first I was eager and excited as to the potential and possibilities of a Union in the workplace. Slowly, I became disillusioned. The few meetings I was able to attend I felt railroaded, and even speaking about the ER, I was either silenced, chided, or told "later." I began to feel the negotiations were about the opinions of a few of the executive board, and not about what the original intention of having a union with equal representation was all about.

Suddenly last week the negotiations ended. There were no contracts available for view, except copies were to be available through a Union rep meeting, and distributed.

Understand Kent has nearly 600 nurses in its workforce. A mass mailing was sent to Kent nurses with erroneous information about a "Members Meeting," date, and time, and the next day another letter sent out with another date and time for a "Members Meeting." The excuse for the first misinformation letter was the UNAP negotiator was "tired, and made a mistake." The letters stated the content of the meeting was about "voting for your first contract." Many nurses thought it would be a discussion about the vote, but we found out that it was actually the date to vote. Mostly, we were confused. The information was not clear.

So nearly 600 nurses were to obtain the contract and vote in less than a week. No time for reading the contract, discussion among peers, questions, or give and take. The times of the voting were obscure. They were given as 4 different specific times during the day, but first, you were to listen to the UNAP organizer's propaganda as to how you were to vote that day.

I read the contract: A no strike clause; A clause permitting layoffs; Not one, not one, sentence concerning staffing, even though presentation had been made of same. The raises were small and insignificant. A change in bereavement policy, and leave of absence. Nothing really that showed a strong voice for Kent Nursing.

So the day of the vote, instead of continuous hours there were only specific set up times to vote, after you listened to the propaganda of the UNAP's Union organizer. I emailed the President of the Local Union 2 days prior to the vote, telling her I would be there at 10:15 to vote, because I worked 11 - 11. No response. When I arrived, I was refused to vote. I have a witness to the latter.

I then found out through the Union President, herself, that the voting box had been taken from Crowne Plaza Hotel by the UNAP Organizer absent any objective person watching what was being done with the votes or the box. And this happened more than once, as testified by other nursing staff. It was taken, I was told, by the local UNAP President, for "safe keeping" between the voting.

Where was the election committee? Where was the objective observer of that voting box?

During this whole organization charade by UNAP, little information was given to the nursing staff. No Internet forum for discussion. No facts concerning the negotiations. We were told to wait until voting day.

So, overall, contracts were placed in lounges, and workplaces by Local 5008 UNAP Executive Committee on Friday, and we were told the vote with the ambiguous separate times, and inconvenient method would occur 5 days later.

I appealed to our local UNAP President for a special meeting in order to delay this vote. I did not even receive a response.

How can 600 nurses possibly obtain copies of a contract, hold discussion, and reach a decision in 5 days on a contract that will affect their professional life for 2 years? Many of us feel we were kept in the dark, given little to no information, and then given 5 days for an election that did not have normal election hours, but divisions during the day to vote, after you were approached by UNAP's organizer.

Many of us feel we were ambushed by this election. For 600 nurses, the vote was 172 to 149 for the contract. So 172 members out of 600 nurses now control the working environment of Kent Hospital, through Union mandated dues and policy.

The rest of us are forming an internet forum for discussion, and taking avenues to correct this abuse by Union leadership, who determined that the nurses at Kent were not worth the time and effort to allow them to review the contract, have at least 2 weeks for discussion among themselves, along with having a normal voting procedure. We are asking for public support.

Jeanette Geary RN

Emergency Department, Kent Hospital