Is the strike over? Was there really a strike?

lllliv · Dec 20, 2006

Talks Between Nurses, Hospitals Break Down

Dec 19, 2006 02:50 PM PST

Build Your Own Newscast

Talks Between Nurses, Hospitals Break Down

Negotiations have broken down between representatives from the nurses union and officials from two local hospitals.

A federal magistrate had been ordered to meet with the two sides after union members picketed outside Valley and Desert Springs hospitals earlier this month. They say they were locked out by the hospitals after contract negotiations failed.

Today a union representative says the hospitals presented an ultimatum to the nurses but did not agree to any talks. The nurses say at issue is nurse-to-patient ratios.

Eyewitness News will have more on the story at 4, 5 & 6.

there was a strike and then a cooling off period was negotiated with the union. the nurses tried to go back to work but the hospital refused to the cooling off peroid and refused to let the nurses return to work.

some politicians got involved and persuaded both union and management back to the bargaining table and the nurses went back to work.

now, negotiations have stopped again. i read that the management gave an ultimatum and refuse to talk anymore. haven't heard anymore after that.

i'm really trying to keep track as my hospital is the same union and we are in process of negotiations at this time too.

lllliv · Dec 21, 2006

Two Local Nurses to File Whistleblower Lawsuits

Dec 20, 2006 09:07 PM PST

Joan Wells says she wishes it hadn't come to this, but she believes she's doing the right thing.

Two members of the Service Employees International Union are planning to sue Desert Springs and Valley hospitals.

Nurses Joan Wells and Christina Schofield say they were fired after publicly objecting to understaffing. Those same concerns led hundreds of nurses to picket outside the two hospitals earlier this month.

The women are now planning to file whistleblower lawsuits against the hospitals on Thursday.

Joan Wells says she wishes it hadn't come to this, but she believes she's doing the right thing.

"I'm not afraid because I know the right thing to do is protect my patients. I've been a nurse for 34 years, that's my job to protect patients. Nurses are patient advocates and that's what we do," Wells said.

Hospital officials say they are aware of the lawsuit but have not seen it and therefore cannot comment. They also say they do not comment on personnel matters.

Talks Between Nurses, Hospitals Break Down

Negotiations have broken down between representatives from the nurses union and officials from two local hospitals.

More>>

mxems · Mar 27, 2008

I'd like to know what the atmosphere is like there at Desert Springs Hospital.

I think it is a complete shame what the management of that hospital has done to the nurses there. Talk about putting the bottom line before the welfare of the patients.

Rumor has it that when they did strike, they hired all these security people and one of them was a convicted felon (gun running) from Florida. How ridiculous is that? Rumor has it that those security people actually cornered a nurse in an elevator while she was "being escorted for her safety" off the hospital grounds. Kind of like the old mafia union busting methods so to speak.

You can find this stuff on-line about all the charges that were filed against Desert Springs. Something like 114 healthcare violations.

I would think that nurses have very long memories, and that hospital bad stuff. I would never work there even though I've heard they pay some top salaries. It's also rumored that they still employ a "union busting" charge nurse (I won't say a name) brought in from back east to make union nurses so miserable they leave. I won't say what department she works in. I don't want to get anyone in trouble.

But I would like to know how nurse life is there after all the union talks and strike, and negotiations.

Anyone?

Just rumors.