Cleveland Clinic destroys wages

Nurses Activism

Published

As of today 11/12/01, the Cleveland Clinic has utilized big business tactics to BUST nursing wages.They have brought in a large ammount of foreign nurses and told the agency to take a 7-15 dollar an hour cut or they would not be used All agencies complied. All other local hospitals are cutting wages by 5-10 dollars an hour and mandating a minimum of 16 hours mandatory overtime or you are terminated. The local paper The plain Dealer is reporting with a slant to sympathy for the poor hospitals and blaming it all on the nurses. Both the shortage and the cost of healthcare. This is one of the grimmist days for nursing in all of history. Im sure all other hospitals will be quick to jump on this band wagon BRACE YOURSELF FOR HUGE PAYCUTS! I am so SAD!

RNforLongTime

1,577 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

Yet another reason why I am glad that I work for a bargaining unit facility. I am not too far from you--This is sad--especially in this severe nursing shortage

Jenny P

1,164 Posts

Specializes in CV-ICU.

I hope every nurse who works there hands in their resignations and walks out on them for 2-3 weeks. The hospitals cannot function without nurses, but if the nurses conceed, then the hospitals will succeed in this type of blackmail..

I've said before that hospitals and the health care industry would blame nurses for all of the problems in the system, and it looks like they are starting to do just that.

I hope all of the agencies suddenly find themselves short of nurses also. Wow, I was expecting that this would happen in California, not Cleveland!

oramar

5,758 Posts

Are all the nurses taking this cut or just the agency?

huckfinn

108 Posts

Specializes in All Surgical Specialties.

I think somebody misread the article. The agency Nurses seem to be the only ones affected. A move like this on a nationwide level might show a return of personnel to institutions. If this were done by the hospitals to their staff, they could almost assure themselves of an attack of Nursing unionization.

mopsi

87 Posts

From the info I receiving from area nurses this is the situation.At one non cleveland clinic owned hospital paycuts and mandatory overtime were told to staff who reported to work yesterday.Some walked out alot stayed but cried or are just extremely distraught.Another non clinic owned hospital has a ton of foreign nurses they just brought in. They has housing provided, pay no taxes and are taking up alot of overtime. They speak very little english and receive a max of 6 patients. Other staff gets up to 10 patients. Mgmt is presssuring staff to help and accomadate in every way. PRN staff is being told hey probably wont be needed in December.I have heard of no paycuts at the Clinic just the agency cuts,however lower wages would be the next logical step. Anyone have any more info???? I'm just one person with only so many nurses I can network with.

rjlrn95

50 Posts

The way I read the article it was just agency that took the cuts.

But LOVED the line that said, because nurses were unhappy with wages and conditions they went to agency, thereby adding to the nursing shortage. BOY OH BOY!!!!! would love to take that reporter on a "tour" for a few nights. Agency just gives us an option

Looks to me like they are trying "bully" tactics and it worked.

The sad part is nurses won't stand together and will crumble under this kind of pressure.

mopsi

87 Posts

Dear Mr. Mezger,

I am dispirited from the content of your article on nursing. The obvious slant in the favor of the mighty giant THE CLEVELAND CLINIC does your supposed hometown newspaper a grave disservice to the working class members of the nursing profession in Cuyahoga County.In a workplace that has increasingly deteriorated over the last 10 years the final blow to the nurses has been implemented by big business. This is also a severe loss to the patients of the healthcare network. The decline of the healthcare system stared with the involvement of profit and loss statements presiding over the dignity and rights of the citizens of our community receiving proper healthcare.The unjust scapegoating of the very people who deliver the critical hands on care to those in most need as the "BAD GUYS" is another maneuver to deflect the spotlight off those who are profiting off others ill health and misfortune.Trust me Mr. Mezger, nurses are not geting paid $50.00 an hour to fluff a pillow or bring in some ice water. The nursing shortage has not just occured because Agency nurses make too much money and demoralize staff. The demoralization began a long time ago. Its reflected in the way staff nurses are treated by administration in the facilites by whom they are employed. Its exemplified my the way patients and families treat nurses.Now the solution is to pay nurses, the very people you entust your life ,or the life of your child, or parent, or lover an even lower wage than they've been receiving?Now the hospitals are mandating overtime.How sharp do you think an overworked nurse will be after 50 or 60 hours?Do you think it might be posible they'll miss an irregular heartbeat or a drop in your blood pressure?Do you think that might be important to you the patient?Yes it is Mr. Mezger. Sometimes critically important. Those slick budget guys won't be there though to call a code or start a little CPR. No I dare say they'll be enscounsed in their cozy homes celebrating their latest financial victory. This is a very sad day in lives of nurses and those whom receive their care. The squeeze of the corporations may just be the final blow to many a patient who needs that nurse to be there and care. Be a good reporter Mr. Mezger and investigate the totals of profits realized by these institutions. Don't just be a slippery pen and do their bidding.Talk to some nurses. Go sit at bedside of a dying human being.Do a little more reseach and see a total picture. May God Bless you.

Sandra Zane, LPN

Parma, Ohio

fiestynurse

921 Posts

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thisnurse

657 Posts

i think that this slew of imported nurses is going to have a negative impact on the hospitals that are importing them and in the long run they will do themselves in.

first of all, how do you think the american people are going to react to their own nurses being replaced by foreign nurses? not too well i dont think, especially since they wont have to pay taxes.

and no matter how the hospitals justify it, our countrymen are going to have issues with it.

secondly, our patients arent going to take to having to repeat themselves over and over due to the language barrier. they already have to keep repeating themselves. health care is still a consumers market. its going to be like shopping at the seven elevens.

think of the culture shock of these nurses. i cant hardly imagine what it would be like to go to the phillipines and work, especially when your coworkers are angered by your mere presence.

our hospital is importing 100 of them. gonna be a while before they get here. i wonder who is going to orient them. thats gonna be a job.

jjenRN

2 Posts

I think that you should use that same paper to advertise a nurses meeting in your town somewhere! Ask the people from Favorite Nurses (the only agency that did not cave in) to meet you with several hire/orientation packets! If everyone was ava. only with this agency you might get some control back! I have seen it before, where facilities say we are not going to use agency anymore, they cancel all shifts, and use other means of staffing, or work everyone short. It will be their rep. in the end that will suffer!

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