[DEB52]

I have been reading about the 13 hospitals in California that will be striking next week. But I had no ideal that 9 hospitals in West Virginia and Kentucky went on strike yesterday. They are a part of the Appalachian Regional Hospitals. Did anyone see this on the news? Have you heard anything about it?

[ebear]

Deb51,
NO!!!!! I have not heard of that one! Wonder why I didn't see any media coverage at all??? This is getting interesting!
ebear

[Mobeeb]

Go here for info.

http://www.topix.net/content/kri/200...-nurses-strike

[Noryn]

It isnt getting that much national attention but there has been some local stories on it. We (in WV) stay behind national trends so while California and other states are implementing safe staffing standards, we continue to allow unsafe staffing ratios. I honestly at one time was ready to leave the hospital for a mall job while I went back for another degree.

What initially caught my eye though was that I read the hospital was going to decrease holiday pay and raise insurance premiums. Those hospitals have in the recent few years spent millions of dollars on several projects or additions so why did they have to cut compensation to nurses? However the nurse's union denies the strike is about this but rather about mandatory overtime and staffing.

There were several (maybe 4-5) ARH nurses to speak out about the unsafe staffing at a union event a few years back. They were subsequently suspended by ARH which is the hospital group we are talking about.

I really hope they get something accomplished. It isnt easy to bring about change alone especially when you are dealing with a multi million dollar corporation.

[Selke]

If nurses in southern, traditionally non-union (known euphemistically as "right to work") states are now forming unions and going on strikes, there must be significant changes in consciousness happening in the red states. Hallelujah! This is fabulous news, not only for maybe a new era of worker activism in states which didn't exist before, but fabulous news for southern RNs, and of course for the patients who will benefit from a nursing staff properly paid and empowered. Towanda! Kudos to the brave nurses in KY who are probably facing who knows what kind of backlash for their stance.