any advice on working a strike?

caliotter3 · Jul 9, 2007

Welcome to allnurses. You should have a moderator move this thread to an appropriate forum.

Best advice I can give you is to be aware that there may be unsettled circumstances where you're going and to be especially careful for your personal safety. Most strike breakers are briefed to enter the building through the rear or sides of the building and to avoid whereever they see people and media congregated. Also, on the floors, there will be varying degrees of disorganization. Just do your best, as you normally would. Good luck.

morte, LPN, LVN · Jul 9, 2007

don't

Fiona59 · Jul 9, 2007

I'm unionized and in my province we are legally not entitled to strike. Fines and jail.

Having said that, people strike for a reason and it's not always money.

Just remember that paid vacation, statutory holidays, benefit plans are all in place because of unions.

gr8rnpjt, RN · Jul 9, 2007

My friend and I are signed up for our first strike. Any advice would be appreciated.

Strikebreakers are generally not well thought of. The admin would rather have their own nurses there and will send you off asap as soon as the strike is over. If you should stay and don't expect that to happen, you would have difficulty with the staff you replaced once they are back on the job. Our job is stressful enough, why put yourself through this. Nurses strike for good reason and there is usually a good reason not to cross the picket line.

rjflyn, ASN, RN · Jul 9, 2007

Like the other poster said dont.

But having grown up in a midwest unionized family I can recall scabs having things get thrown at them or their vehicles. I would be prepared for things like that.

reesern63, RN · Jul 9, 2007

Don't go looking for lots of sympathy. You made your bed.

zozzy777 · Jul 9, 2007

Wow! I am shocked at some of the responses on this thread. For those of you who advise against it, who do you recommend taking care of the patients? What if it was your family member? Or what if it was you who needed hospital care?

I have seen many strikes and some of them were over ridiculous things. We all got into this profession to take care of patients. If a nurse wants to work a strike, good for them. I say go for it!!

James Huffman · Jul 9, 2007

Like the other poster said dont.
But having grown up in a midwest unionized family I can recall scabs having things get thrown at them or their vehicles. I would be prepared for things like that.

Implying that other professional nurses are "scabs" is really not helpful.

Not to mention suggesting (without the slightest note of condemnation) that people should be "prepared for" physical attacks on their property or themselves: do we really want to endorse such hate-filled violence against our colleagues?

icuwant2rn · Jul 9, 2007

Implying that other professional nurses are "scabs" is really not helpful.
Not to mention suggesting (without the slightest note of condemnation) that people should be "prepared for" physical attacks on their property or themselves: do we really want to endorse such hate-filled violence?

I don't think she was endorsing anything just being truthful about what will probably happen. If the OP has never seen a strike she should be prepared for everything including the fact that some people might resort to throwing things at them or their vehicles.

IMHO, you're better off to just not cross that line.

icuwant2rn · Jul 9, 2007

Wow! I am shocked at some of the responses on this thread. For those of you who advise against it, who do you recommend taking care of the patients? What if it was your family member? Or what if it was you who needed hospital care?

Let the "white coats" step out of their office and work the floor for a change. As for my family, they wouldn't cross a picket line even if they were bleeding to death! We do not have a unionized hospital where I work, but there are plenty of unions in this area. Everyone of them that I know of has been responsible for better benefits, wages, ect. in the places that have them. That's why I was told from day one that to even breathe the word union at our hospital would quickly result in your termination.

caliotter3 · Jul 9, 2007

My post was a warning in response to a question by the OP. It is a reality that there might be physical altercations or vandalism to her car. It is no secret that this type of behavior has happened in the past. I meant to warn the OP. I have no intentions of commenting on her work activity one way or the other. That's her business. She did not ask about my political opinions and I didn't give them. That was not the stated purpose of her thread as far as I could tell. Personal safety is always a concern and should be. Anybody going into a potentially volatile situation should at least be mentally prepared.