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It is NOT a legal requirement to join a union but you may be encouraged to join a union by your nursing peers or employer.

Union members tend to make more money, work less overtime, and have better benefits. But, they aren't necessarily more satisfied at their job and don't have less burnout. Despite concerns that a strike will harm patients, patient mortality doesn't increase during a strike.

In addition to their role in pay negotiations, unions are an invaluable source of support in employment and disciplinary issues and offer a range of professional service and training opportunities.

The Royal College of Nursing is the world's largest nursing union and professional body.

Labor unions benefit their members by negotiating better pay, benefits, and working conditions. Critics of labor unions maintain that union contracts make it more difficult for a company to fire unproductive employees, and that they increase long-term costs which decreases competitiveness.

Become a member of the RCN Join the world's largest union and professional body for nursing.

A union gives workers the ability to act together to advocate for safe working conditions, to improve their wages and benefits, and to protect their workplace rights through collective bargaining and concerted activity.

Better pay and wages Better pay frequently tops the list of reasons to join a union. The median weekly earnings of union employees are 20% higher than the pay of non-union members, and some sources claim that unionized nurses earn $200-$400 more per week than non-unionized nurses.