Nurses crossing picket lines??

Nurses General Nursing

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My friend, who is an experienced travel RN, is thinking about taking a job where she will make $5,000 a week pay, but she has to go to another state and cross a picket line to get to work. I know a little bit about strikes and picket lines from my father, who has been a manager in a auto-parts factory for years. I can remember during strikes people would actually try to attack him physically, damage his car, and even threaten to kill him. :crying2: Needless to say, I am pretty upset about my friend taking this position. I am very concerned for her safety. Does anyone know anything about nurses on strike? Can those strikes be as violent and dangerous as other union strikes?? I am trying to talk my friend out of going. Any insight/advice you could give me would be great. Thanks. :o

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
BOO to anyone who crosses a nursing picket line - we are trying so hard to earn a fair wage, obtain better working conditions and to earn the respect we so deserve - why would anyone in our profession do something which would undermine our goals - this is why nursing is "an endangered species" - not enough money, not enough respect, and not enough of us to go around - I urge you to talk to your friend and try to persuade him/her to stop this course of action - together we're strong!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes Im stronger getting top dollar money for crossing. pays for the top dollar golf courses I like.

I have never heard of scab nurses being attacked. I would hope her own ethics would guide her decision in this matter. I would be more worried about the environment INSIDE the hospital (there has to be a reason staff nurses would take the drastic action of striking and I don't think it's safe to work with a large number of agency nurses who are unfamiliar with the hospital).
I've worked as a traveler for almost four years now. There have been many times when it has been the traveler that has all but completely staffed the unit. More times than not, that Unit runs efficiently. I find that it is not just agency nurses that can staff the place. Our goal is to get the patient to a degree of wellness so that they can be discharged; striking nurses do not appear to have that common goal. If they want a better wage, be agency or traveler! As usual, their loss is our gain. The work has to get done by someone and we are their to take up the slack. I don't believe the patients would call the nurses that cross the picket lines "scabs".:)
The thoughts expressed in the many posts to this thread prove one thing; that there are many Nurses out there fueled with passion. Some are quite eloquent with words and some only expressing their views, whichever they may be. We appear to be in our profession for the good of the patient, and not for the almighty $$$! Do you see how strong we could be if we put our collective intelligence together for the greater good? Let the hospitals who employ us see that what we ask for is for the good of our patients; for the most part, a HAPPY Nurse is a GOOD Nurse!

Amen to that!

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

from revolution magazine july-august. 2001: a must read

http://www.revolutionmag.com/

who you gonna call?

busting the union-busters.

from revolution magazine july-august. 2001: a must read

http://www.revolutionmag.com/

who you gonna call?

busting the union-busters.

i guess as a traveler, the nurses that i've worked with over the past four years have appreciated the complexity of the units. sure the tasks are sometimes difficult at hand to complete. that's where prioritizing is of the utmost importance. even the mds understand that we are not superhuman nurses. however, i have never had a problem asking for assistance when i needed an extra hand. perhaps that's how team players really learn to develop. as i see it the main goal is to complete the tasks for that particular shift, if you have extra time, offer assistance, if you are falling behind, ask for assistance. it has always worked for me, and i feel that it reflects on the unit as a whole, that in a pinch we band together and get the task done. i truly do not see how unionizing does anything but cause animosity between management, patients, and staff members. i've been in involved in my own personal round with a strike through an hmo. it lasted three weeks and they got no where fast. many of the nurses looked at it as a time to go on vacation with the family. how pathetic is that! i crossed the picket line after two days because of the embarrassment of my association with such a group. i would also cross the picket line again as a traveler if nurses went on strike in another state, not strictly because of the money to be had, but because of my standards for my practice as a nurse as well as my values as a person. in my opinion, healthcare is no place for unions.

hope you can appreciate where i'm coming from as i appreciate your stance as well.

i have no respect for people who cross picket lines

i have no respect for people who cross picket lines

I respect your opinion...:nurse:

There's a picket line for a reason. Sorry, I'm a Detroiter. No one should cross. She's a traveler and can go where she pleases. I don't condone violence, no will I ever cross a picket line. Be well and all the best to your friend. She can look elsewhere. There are many jobs for us!

i have no respect for people who cross picket lines

I have no respect for people who walk away from the patients...but if they get someone to come in to take care of them before they die, then that's ok!

There's a picket line for a reason. Sorry, I'm a Detroiter. No one should cross. She's a traveler and can go where she pleases. I don't condone violence, no will I ever cross a picket line. Be well and all the best to your friend. She can look elsewhere. There are many jobs for us!

Is the reason for a picket line because we have failed in our efforts to communicate with the bosses...just wondering.

I respect your opinion...:nurse:

And I respect you for that!

And I respect Tom for not getting teed off about this! :chuckle

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
i have no respect for people who cross picket lines

sticks and stones

will break my bones

but words will never

Hurt me

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

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