[brian]

After 1,000 days of being on strike among the nurses at Northern Michigan Hospital, the light at the end of the tunnel still cannot be seen.

"Our hearts are still broken because this hasn't been resolved. This is still a sore point among our community and the people in our parish," said the Rev. Douglas Kenny, of Zion Lutheran Church in Petoskey.

The strike at the hospital reached 1,000 days on Tuesday.

Kenny said he and members of the Little Traverse Ministry Alliance - which he is the president of - are counseling both sides on this issue and trying to be a bridge between the two.

'It's been hard and it's been frustrating to help," he said. "Things don't look any closer to resolution today than they were back in November."

Full Story: 1,000 days for nurse strike [Petoskey News-Review,MI]

[Faeriewand]

Talk about a tough row to hoe!
Too bad not all the nurses decided Union was the way to go.
I wish them the very best.

[Jessy_RN]

It's been a toughy! I too wish them the best.

[katwoman7755]

So have those striking nurses just not been working the last 1000days or can they work somewhere else??? And if they work somewhere else, can they still be on strike somewhere else???

OH God....this union stuff can be quite confusing.

[karbyr]

I really believe that the striking nurses need to enforce a work stoppage. Not letting anyone besides management into the building. Only reason for letting management nurses in is to take care of the patients already there. This is such a sad case, worked there ten plus years ago. Management's attitiude towards nursing is ridiculous. Did you see the part where, early in the strike, one of the doctors swerved his car into a bunch of the picketing nurses? Kind of goes to the heart of the attitude. The area is strongly non-union due to a very wealthy population who expects all kinds of free or cheap labor, so the hospital has some strong supporters to keep unions out of the area. What a mess

[waltrip15]

This is a sad situation. I hope these nurses are getting support from the community. I am in kentucky and I have not even heard about this strike. Is there no news coverage for them.. I agree with a prior post who would not want union representation when they are working for a hospital like this? This is just heartbreaking.

[Nancy2]

These things can happen when teamsters get involved with healthcare. It sounds like the nurses who have been working there during the strike are happy. They choose not to be represented by the union. I guess we'll just have to see how those challenged ballots shake out with the NLRB. I belive the law says that if you haven't been employed there for 12 months or more you are not eligable to vote, but I could be wrong. I'll have to go look that one up. The primary thing is, are the patients being cared for by competent people and are those people working there voluntarily?
By the way it is illegal to stop replacement workers from entering the workplace!

[Alpha13]

I dont understand why the hospital doesn't just fire all the union strikers.

[lindarn]

Originally Posted by Alpha13

I dont understand why the hospital doesn't just fire all the union strikers.

Why should the hospital fire the nurses who are striking? It is their constitutional right. They are striking because of valid issues, there is nothing wrong with that. I think that nurses do not use use strikes and more aggressive methods enough. Nursing would not be in the position they are in right now, with low pay, ****- poor benefits, no respect, no control over our profession, our professional practice being sold to the highest bidder, etc, the list is endless. Nurses should just walk out on strike, and not give the hospital the opportunity to bring in scabs who work strikes. We are too nice. Let the hospital and the public be inconvenienced for a change, and let them feel what life is like without a caring, educated, licensed registered nurse. OH, I forgot! The Martyr Marys of the nursing profession would never allow that. Better that nurses are on strike for 3 years, and going no where fast. Business as usual, while nothing gets accomplished to complete this contract. Hospitals have nothing to fear from nurses. JMHO.

Lindarn RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

[Nancy2]

It is not legal to fire striking workers in any field not just nursing. The law (NLRA)does however require healthcare workers to give a 10 day notice in writing before a strike, so that the hospital can find replacement workers, cancel elective procedures and transfer patients if needed.
Striking workers cannot be fired, but they can be Permanently Replaced. The strikers would be put on a list in order of seniority to be recalled to jobs for which they are qualified when such an opening occurs, but they cannot be fired. I sounds like this hospital has chosen to permanently replace their striking workers which is perfectly legal.
I have been a nurse for twenty years and am not a "martyr mary" but just don't see my profession as negatively as some who post here. If I were that disenchanted with nursing, I'd have left to do something else.