[nurz2be]

Strike

Some very determined nurses have apparently been on strike since early October. Some nurses who chose to cross the line have had some terrible things happen to them.


Some day these facilities will get the hint that the ratios are hurting not only the nurses but the patients as well. Very, very sad indeed.

[NRSKarenRN]

Nurses' Strike Drags on in Appalachia

[pickledpepperRN]

Nurses Protest Violent Tactics Against Picketers
The nearly 700 striking nurses at Appalachian Regional Health Care (ARH), represented by the Kentucky and West Virginia Nurses Associations/United American Nurses, AFL-CIO, are speaking out to call public attention to the underhanded and violent tactics exhibited against them by the hospital during their strike, which began Oct. 1.

ARH has escalated its intimidation of striking nurses from hired security guards on the picket lines who routinely harass nurses to video surveillance of striking nurses to, it now appears, orchestrating the burning of the car of one of the union staff on hand to assist the nurses....

..."The word on the picket line is that this must have been the work of someone associated with ARH. We don't have evidence yet that that's the case, but we call on the police to make a full investigation of this and prosecute whoever the guilty party is to the fullest extent of the law. We also call on ARH to disavow this kind of criminal behavior and get rid of security forces that are harassing nurses on the picket lines."...

http://www.emaxhealth.com/38/18091.html

[pickledpepperRN]

...A union representative left the picket line at the Beckley, WV, ARH facility Sunday night for his car and discovered after driving a short distance that he had a flat tire. He returned to the picket line for assistance, and when he and others returned to his car, they found it ablaze with brush that had been doused in flammable liquid.

Attempts to report the incident to police were met with a response that the department was closed for the Veterans Day holiday and that the detective was not available.

Nurses are demanding the mayor provide more protection for the RNs on the line -- protection the police so far have not provided....

http://www.emaxhealth.com/38/18091.html

[cmo421]

Good luck to all those nurses. Mandatory OT law passed in RI,effective in March 2008. Prohibits all mandatory OT in health care workers,unless in unforseen emergencies.

[BBFRN]

http://www.kentucky-nurses.org/

"One nurse explained why they're striking:
We're being asked to do impossible tasks, to be responsible for too many patients. Some days we have as many as 12 patients to care for. That's too much for one person to do without making a mistake. I tell my husband who is a retired teacher that if he makes a mistake, he can just erase the board. If a nurse makes a mistake, it could erase someone off the earth."

" Nurses at Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) hospitals are on strike, seeking stronger patient care protections. They've gone without paychecks since Oct. 1."

https://secure.ga6.org/08/arhstrikefund
Link above is to make a donation to support the striking nurses. Every penny of your contribution will go to the ARH nurses.

[marie-francoise]

12 patients! That's just plain ridiculous. No wonder they're striking!

[joeld311]

I'm from the South and we, for the most part, are raised being taught that unions are NOT GOOD. Unions have ruined the auto industry as well as many others, and "hardcore" union members are typically quite liberal politically. As in, they believe that "the man" is down on them, and believe in raising taxes and free healthcare, etc. I'm not sure about the hospital's view on the situation but hospitals ARE a business. If you have a problem with that then you should work for a non-profit charity hospital. I believe that the real culprit here is insurance companies. The hospitals have to remain at least breaking even or they will close down and you WON'T HAVE A JOB THERE AT ALL!! If anyone is interested enough, why don't some of you take a look at the recent history of stock quotes on some of the companies that own hospitals... they really aren't going up. I'm assuming that these nurses are striking for better pay. I have a question for these striking nurses and that is, why don't you find a different hospital to work at?!?! There are plenty of hospitals out there paying a lot of money for nurses. And when the hospital runs out of nurses completely they will start raising pay again. And it's not like the entire United States doesn't have literally thousands of nursing jobs available people. Come on! Get with it. Stop trying to make other people pay for you to live in a fantasy land that doesn't exist to begin with.

Joel

[marie-francoise]

Is the above reply for real? Try working a 12-hour shift with upwards of 12 patients, and having do document every single thing you and the patients do (for purposes of CYA), and then see if it's about the pay.

Speaking of pay... pay has likely gone up for nurses in recent years since the number of nurses willing to work in nursing jobs has gone down due to working conditions. It's supply and demand - increased pay for the fewer nurses willing to do the job. Fewer and fewer nurses willing to work = worsening patient:nurse ratios = even fewer nurses willing to work in nursing.

Ya wanna know why there are thousands of nursing jobs open? Since no one wants to be a nurse anymore, since conditions have gotten so ludicrous!

[cmo421]

Originally Posted by joeld311

I'm from the South and we, for the most part, are raised being taught that unions are NOT GOOD. Unions have ruined the auto industry as well as many others, and "hardcore" union members are typically quite liberal politically. As in, they believe that "the man" is down on them, and believe in raising taxes and free healthcare, etc. I'm not sure about the hospital's view on the situation but hospitals ARE a business. If you have a problem with that then you should work for a non-profit charity hospital. I believe that the real culprit here is insurance companies. The hospitals have to remain at least breaking even or they will close down and you WON'T HAVE A JOB THERE AT ALL!! If anyone is interested enough, why don't some of you take a look at the recent history of stock quotes on some of the companies that own hospitals... they really aren't going up. I'm assuming that these nurses are striking for better pay. I have a question for these striking nurses and that is, why don't you find a different hospital to work at?!?! There are plenty of hospitals out there paying a lot of money for nurses. And when the hospital runs out of nurses completely they will start raising pay again. And it's not like the entire United States doesn't have literally thousands of nursing jobs available people. Come on! Get with it. Stop trying to make other people pay for you to live in a fantasy land that doesn't exist to begin with.

Joel

Maybe before writing this you should have read up on why they are striking. Such condesending remarks for someone who is so misinformed. Rarely have the medical profession gone on strick for just monetary reasons. Please read,research and think next time you take the keyboards in ur hands!