Opinion on Strike Nursing

[The Great One]

I think that something important is being missed. First off I am an LPN awaiting RN boards and DO NOT work administration or strikes. However, if there were no strike nurses, the facilities would be at the absolute mercy of whatever idea d'jour that the staff got together on. While that may seem ideal to the staff that is a very dangerous and unreasonable business practice. If all of the nurses just walk out and no one is there to staff the hospital what would happen ? You get your way without a fight, no negotiations and then its just like you are dealing with a child. The minute they know that they can "hold their breath" and get their way. They will threaten to do so every few weeks to get some other demand met and lets face it, Nurses do make the reputation and care of the hospital but we do not run the financial side and that is probably a good thing. Strikes are a bargaining tool. Period You just need a balance of power and strike nurses mediate that balance. (at a rate of 4700 dollars per week for RN's and 3000 for LPN's)


Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on who's for dinner. Liberty is a well armed sheep protesting the vote

[Anonymous]

"Nurses do make the reputaion and care of the hospital but we do not run the financial side and that is probably a good thing" THAT IS PROBABLY A BAD THING. Cuz I don't think many nurses would give the CEO of a small community hospital in one of the highest (if not the highest %wise) taxed state in the union more than the President of the United States....

Can I ask how long you have been a nurse? And how long you have worked in a hospital and seen the very poor management money wise many exhibit.. Like close a surgical wing, make a fancy kitchen, with two stoves etc, for the mental health unit for a couple of years ..Then gut that and revert to a surgical unit...Or open a beautiful woman's center for ONE year and then convert it to a mobile MRI unit..Yep those decisions were all made without nursing imput...But then again we know nothing of finance.. We just manage to buy houses, feed our kids, put them through college, and save for our retirement on the measley wages some hospitals care to pay us...

OK OK OK OK I am getting down now...


WR,,, three commas for Becca

I don't care what you think of me but don't attack other nurses without the facts.

[medi]

Right, we're just nurses.. not financially educated. We couldn't possibly be as wise and brilliant as the hospital adminstrator they're paying the big bucks to or else why would we be doing the low end of the totem pole (patient care)?? *LOL* I wonder if the hosp administrator made a 40% return in the stock market buying & selling mortgage reit stocks like I did last year without any stock broker?

Nurses should get more involved in hospital management & administration- not just nursing admin

[Anonymous]

Sara. You don't really think any of the old boys are gonna let us in do you??? Heck we don't even get a say on what chairs we get to sit in..

Come on girl???


WR,,, three commas for Becca

[1mg.epi]

A union was voted in at a hospital here in Arkansas. It has not done a darn thing for them. In matter of fact, my hospital has acquired a few of the nurses. If you get involved you can have a say what chairs we can sit in. In fact we picked the chairs for the hospital to buy.

Although I can say, we did move to a new hospital 5 years ago. we had to add a floor, add a wing for surgical rooms, extend the ER in to the parking lot, and its still too small. Thanks to the high priced demographic consultant firm. When from the planning stage almost every nurse in this facility said, "Its too small."


I am agenst striking, it only hurts patient care

[Anonymous]

I have always maintained that a union is just another layer of bureauracy. And if the shop steward don't like you forget it.....


WR,,, three commas for Becca

[1mg.epi]

You forgot one thing, you have to pay dues to have that bureauracy

[Jennywren]

Speaking of the financial side, my brother is a hospital administrator. He says that in most cases the hospital is just holding out for as long as they have strike insurance hoping that the nurses can't hold out that long and will accept less. Usually as soon as the insurance runs out, they settle. Which is why many times we feel like the other side is not negotiating in good faith. The insurance is paying for the strike personnel, so the hospital doesn't care how much it costs. It's a screwed up system.

[thenursingexpert]

the irony of it all is when that when nurse strike, the hospital will bring in nurses from staffing agencies and they pay the agency 25% to 75% more money per nurse than they would pay a regular full time nurse

[McLass]

Beginning in 1976 as a Teamster (being a nurse) I developed a very strong since of the word "UNION" organization. Now, of course nurses have formed their own union ANA. But, whether people think bad or good of unions is irrelevant. What is important is that without one you find more and more employee abuse. Increased overtime without compensation and poor pay raises. Yes, you have your dues to pay, but you have to ask yourself. "What is important to me?" Is it the safety of the union net and not letting the employer abuse your license or falling through the net of unprotected workforce?
Having a Union is not unlike having a Manager as a star.
The discussion of Strike is not something either side likes to due. As with our ethics and standards as nurses, our role is to nurture and care. The hospital surely looses money if doors are closed. So, hopefully arbitration is used as a useful tool and balance to meet both needs.
Someone in the earlier thread had mentioned about poor monitary wasting with the CEO's etc. I agree whole heartedly!! As with many of our revamping and restructuring it falls back on the nurses to pull in thier belts and "suck it up" per say. While administration has purchased designer office desks, remodeled a waiting room with a $2,000.00 table etc. We see money spent foolishly and become frustrated and bitter. Not alone the agencies they pull in to tell them to cut staff and put more patient ratio's per nurse as the illustrious Matrix comes into play. These Agencies are paid in the tune to over 70K ...I COULDNT make that in 2 years (net pay).
WE are not paid what we are worth nor are our benefits suiting to the years and work we put in for our employers. Needless to say our Unions are attempting to protect us. But our Unions are only as strong as we are. Hence the Hospitals can afford to remodel, rebuild and hire outlandish Agencies.....SO WHY can they pay obscene wages and benifits??
Tired of them PLEEDIING poverty!
One Strong Union Lass