would you cross a picket line????

Nurses Activism

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Yesterday one of my nursing coworkers told me about some strike in OHIO and that she was going to take a travel assignment to that area..... I am totally happy where I am, but I was kinda wondering what that atmosphere would be like...I feel that everyone deserves healthcare and can understand her position that she goes where the money is but, crossing a picket line???? I just do not think I could do it. Obviously those nurses are in extreme duress to have to strike.....So, what do you all think could you cross a picket line????? I do not think I could.

this was "teed-up" by Tom

But for the right money I will cross the line, and will continue to do so. Its called supporting my family the best that I can.

Nursing is your family too Tom.

You belong to one or the other. There is no such thing as a non-nurse nurse is there?

Anyway,

Your immediate family and a living wage with the benefits to take care of them is what we are discussing.

Isn't it? Not really union or non.........suit or nurse.

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First, I've never felt or thought or said that striking nurses are selfish.

Second, I think everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion.

Third, I've been fortunate to always work in situations where my voice has counted and unions were/are not necessary.

My one and only point to you Peeps is that one can be non-union/anti-union and not be considered management or administration. There are "workers" in the world that don't want/need unions.

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Ya know, I was just thinking,

Taking attention off the real issue is exactly what suits do, isn't it?

"Propaganda"

Of course, put it up there plain as day, then deny. Gives those nurses something to argue that will have them spinning wheels right past the issues of benefits, staffing, and compensation.

Or...........

You just cook up a little union-non-union debate.

Viola!!.........None of those thorny issues to face. Either you are against, or for, the right to have a union. Nothing compromised there, just get the nurses to look the other way in a heated debate over pretty much nothing.

So, you guys got an opinnion? Or do you want to just cut-n-paste your last response and add an extra dig.?

All I'm hearing is an "echo". That's when someone says something to merely get a reaction instead of a response.

I admit, I was just answering echos there, although Tom did come out of it for a sec with the strike-nurse enticements(nice touch, very subtle)

You guys answered the original question posted on the thread, how about your opinnions on JT and fedupnurse's comments.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Howdy yall

from deep in the heart of texas

And boy howdy to you to PEEPS. Lets clear the air here a little. My family is My family. Nursing is my chosen profession, avocation, my life style. Nurse are among my friends and some are among my non friends. But nursing is never and never will be my Family. For me there is more to life than nursing. Nursing is what I do, and I do it well and I have paid my dues in it for 2 and 1/2 decades now. It is how I choose to support my family, and how I choose to live. I have been in this field in one form or another since 1968. Starting off as a corpsman, and its been a long and successfull story since.

Yes I support unions and those who choose to unionize, That is inherent in the freedoms of this country that my fathers and grandfathers have fought for. And while I support unions and what they are trying to do with some success. I will still cross the picket line for the right kind of money, and that is one of the freedoms we have fought for also. The right to choose our path that is best for us. When I have crossed picket lines I have always come with a high price tag and in a roundabout way what they are paying me, helps the unions and the nurses out. Because administration pays an exorbitant amount for me and with my experience and background I get what I ask for. So in the long run that does help nursing out.

When you have paid your dues peeps then come to me with your Ideas, because untill then you have one helluva lot to learn, rather than just trying to rattle cages. So you better get back to your studies. I have been there and felt that and a lot of things for a long time now.

Have a good day PEEPS

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Great post, Tom!

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A statement.

An opinnion.

Personal feelings

That's what I was talking about Tom. After 25 years, for gawds sakes I hope you feel entitled.

Thank you Tom. Great post.:)

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No Gomer, that was Papapete that said nuses are selfish(striking).

By posting after you like that I should have given a proper quote. I can see how that would make it appear as if I was addressing you with that.....sorry.

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No it does not. Dont even try to convince yourself that you are doing us a favor. If you need justification for what youre doing, you'll have to get another excuse because the hospital doesnt care how much of the taxpayer dollars it spends on you. Its not coming out of their own pockets.

If the hospital cared anything at all about what you cost, they wouldnt be keeping us out on these 6 month strikes here. Obviously, paying strikebreakers exorbitant sums has not helped end a strike - having strikebreakers available only prolongs it. Most of your salary comes from taxpayer money & the hospital writes anything else off as a business loss so what do think youre really costing them? You are only costing the striking nurses their bargaining leverage.

And thats a shame because while most nurses who work in hospitals are complaining about the unsafe & difficult working conditions & inadequate compensations everywhere, strikebreakers (who probably complain about the same things at their own hospitals) are actually preventing some nurses from getting those very things improved.

There is no disguising the facts:

If strikebreakers were not there, the hospital would face having to trim down services, move pts to other facilities, close units, stop surgeries, etc & THAT is money lost to them. THAT money is lost revenue & is the only money they care about. When they have no strikebreakers available & are faced with this, they are not so quick to walk out on negotiations & provoke a strike. They compromise & work harder to settle more favorably with the nurses - thus making acceptable improvements in the RNs working conditions, compensation (so the nurses who work there can also feed THEIR families), & satisfactorily addressing the RNs issues (like safe staffing & mandatory ot restrictions), as well as avoiding a strike . When strikebreakers are not available, the administrators are more apt to negotiate fairly to a solution with the nurses and avoid a strike (or end it in a few days) rather than saying to nurses "we are not negotiating further- theres the door - go ahead - we can replace you".

When they have enough strikebreakers, they will continue to spend $$$$ indefinitely on them & keep you there in an effort to get their staff RNs to wear down. And this may force the nurses to let up on some of their demands for workplace improvements. In the end, the RNs may have to settle for far less than what they could have achieved had the hospital not had replacements & instead felt the pressure of needing their own nurses back on the job.

That is how strikebreakers help the hospital - in no way do they help the nurses or the union.

Why do you think replacement workers earned the name "strikebreakers" long ago. That part of their use hasnt changed. You keep the business going so it doesnt lose revenue & feels no pressure to deal with its own nurses anytime soon. You as an RN crossing another RNs strike line have to justify that to yourself but please dont think that you are in anyway helping the union or the striking RNs. All you are doing is helping the hospital put them out in the first place, keep them out longer, & refuse to deal with their issues.

If all youre doing it for is the money, consider this - strike agencies pay the same as legitimate agencies for straight time. In order to make the exorbitant fees you speak of, you have to work many days in a row of 16 hr shifts or more - for the OVERTIME rate.

If you think thats safe, work all those days in a row & all those hours of overtime per week thru a legitimate agency in hospitals that are not conducting an RN strike.

You can earn the same exorbitant sum - without hurting other nurses in the process.

There is no excuse for an RN to cross an RN strike line.

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AND TOM

If you're making big money (like your example of 10,000 a week by one strikebreaker) you have no nursing issues that pertain to the reason for striking.

Benefits(not an issue, even self-pay is affordable and you could invest)

Ratio(?) while the "cameras are rolling" so to speak, I would think you would have adequate staffing.

Pay(naw, you don't have to worry about scratching out 9-13% raise over 3-5 years after sufferring on a picket line for 4 months while your jobs were filled by strike-breakers)

Sure what do you care. That does make sense. I wouldn't want to let that go either once I had it. It was probably hard working for what you were getting with your experience and the benefits wern't going to take care of you or your family. Now that you laid it out there, I see it.

Your not helping out nursing though. You can't make that pig fly.

Your also right about me not having paid my dues yet, but when I do they will go directly in your bank account. Your bosses are paying my future to you in advance.

Pretty shrewd

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This is a blatant contradiction & makes absolutely no sense. What the union RNs are trying to do would be a helluvalot easier, more effective & successful if there were no strikebreakers undermining our efforts. So how can you "support unions" at the same time youre a strikebreaker being used to help the hospital break the union nurses????

Do you realize that if there were no interference from strikebreakers tilting the scale in the hospitals favor and undermining the striking union nurses bargaining power, the union nurses would have far more success?

How can you "support" RNs unionizing and then turn right around & help the hospital try to break them? That sure is a heck of a way to show support.

BTW, you said "Ive paid my dues".... In which union?

The term came from early union workers & is what the concept of seniority is based on. Even the union worker vendors & deliverymen will support the nurses. They wont cross the RN strikeline even to bring in supplies - yet other RNs will.

How sad is that?

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Well, thankyou for the replies to my post. I truly appreciate everyone's thoughts and comments regarding this issue...have a great day!!!!

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Quote from Gomer

My one and only point to you Peeps is that one can be non-union/anti-union and not be considered management or administration. There are "workers" in the world that don't want/need unions.

Yup, like Tom. He's got cash, and I'll bet admin just kisses his a$$.

Then they turn it around on the strike nurses and say " .all they want is more money"

I have traveled to different hospitals in another capacity, "similar" to a nurses duties, so maybe I can turn those years in for some Greenstamps or something like Tom did there. I have never seen such a utopia as you speak of.

Tell me about it Gomer. Do they just not care that they have short staff or mandatory overtime and a .25 cent raise once in a while(generalizing of course) because that's all I ever saw and that was about ten years ago, or do they get everything they want?

Really,what's it like. I'm not "rattling" you cage as Tom would say. This is how people have a conversation and someone who doesn't know learns.

Which one of us is going to learn today.

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