Michigan Nurses Strike 286 strong: Day 81---fighting fire with fire

Nurses Activism

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    Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Nurses Side:

Nurses Strike at Northern Michigan Hospital

http://upnorthgreenparty.org/local/nmh/nurses.html

http://www.mash406nmhnurses.com/

Hospital Side:

NORTHERN MICHIGAN HOSPITAL STRIKE FACT SHEET

Updated January 30, 2003

http://www.northernhealth.org/labor/index.html

Think this is the first time I have seen a hospital put so much info on their website about a strike!

OC_An Khe

1,018 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Thanks for the interestng link. Wonder if a union run by nurses would strike over those issues?

-jt

2,709 Posts

<. wonder if a union run by nurses would strike over those issues>

struck for improved wages, working hours and conditions, and benefits, particularly a better pension plan, health insurance with less out-of-pocket expense, lower nurse-to-patient ratios, improved grievance procedures, and hospital unfair labor practices.

Considering that those are the very reasons thousands of us in an RN union have been on strike coast to coast, Id say yes.

-jt

2,709 Posts

hospital says: "As a result, the Hospital has made its final counter on December 23, 2002, the 25th package, in a final effort to reach agreement. The Union started the strike against the Hospital on November 14, 2002. >>

When a hospital makes a FINAL offer, if the nurses find it to be unacceptable, the hospital says "take it or leave it. Thats FINAL" And then the hospital walks out on the nurses. So for it to now say the NURSES started the strike is contradictory. The HOSPITAL started the strike when it made its offer final & walked out on further negotiations. How can it now say it's worried about the patients after it has done this? And if it is so worried, all it has to do is go back to fair negotiations & the whole thing gets called off. The ball is in its court.

maizey

89 Posts

Shame, shame on the nurses in that hospital that are not backing their fellow nurses. It is bad enough that they hire nurses from a group specifially working as scabs but for nurses from that very hospital to spit in the face of their fellow nurses is horrible. The nurses on strike are striking for all the nurses not just their individual selves.

sjoe

2,099 Posts

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

Whatever it takes! These committed strikes are the ONLY way hospital nursing is ever going to improve.

IMHO.

mattsmom81

4,516 Posts

I am so proud to hear of nurses standing together to better themselves, their families, their profession and patient care. I look forward to a day when more of us are unionized. No it doesn't make things 'perfect' but it sure is a great start, IMO.

I agree SJoe....don't things will improve in facilities until we force them to. Hospitals short staff to make $$$ then whine about a 'shortage'...the term is a red herring.

passing thru

655 Posts

I agree matts mom and sjoe. You two covered it. I am proud of them too. Shame on the scum nurses who are strike-breakers.

karbyr

89 Posts

I worked at this hospital for about five years ten years ago.

It is the major employer in the area, and the rest of the medical community tends to take their lead from them, so was always hoping they would FINALLY unionize..........tried to get the MNA in several times, but they don't play hard enough to deal w/ these administratiors. Also, a very non-union area. Is probably a damn good thing they went w/ the teamsters, considering what they are up against........this hospital has cut nurses and cut nurses for the fifteen years i've known it and continued to tell the community how "patient care was better than ever", yeah right.

was going down hill when i left there, which is truly sad, as at one time was a good place to work.

MissdonditaBsn

55 Posts

We have had an interesting situation at our hospital regarding this strike.

There is a nurse who works contingent for us but was working full time a Northern Michigan. She really needs the money, so rather than cross the picket line there, she is working for us until the strike passes. She is living with her son while she does so.

There is another nurse who works conitngent for us who went up there to work as a relief staff during the strike. Ours is a union hosptial so of course all of our nurses are supporting those at Northern Michigan.

It has been interesting to watch the interactions among the staff with both of these nurses.

rouqie

43 Posts

Specializes in Mostly ETC, very interested in wounds.

i realize that no one has posted on this thread in a while but i am a nursing student up at the hospital. the place is in some desperate need of some good nursing care. the hospital seems very anti-friendly and the nurses that i have run into are very rude and unproffessional. does anyone now how long this strike is going to continue. i know that they voted again and many ballot were challanged. no one at the hospital will talk about it anyone have any information?

Home Health Columnist / Guide

NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN

10 Articles; 18,299 Posts

Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Update here:

February 13, 2006

1193 Days on Strike

http://www.mash406nmhnurses.com/

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