Joy In Striking???

[XtREmeRN]

Hello everyone. I would like to express my sadness towards the exuberence displayed at yesterday's vote. Upon the announcement of the collaborative bargaining rejection, several union members erupted in cheer and celebration, one even had the audacity to pass out cigars. As a relatively new RN, it is unfortunate to see such a lack of compassion and the ignorance displayed. Where is the victory? These people malign a profession which should be entrenched with empathy and care. As a PNA member, I am deeply offended and humiliated. Not only are several of our own out of work during the holidays, we are also inadvertently causing layoffs and compromising work hours for other employees? Should we be high-fiving each other and rejoicing? You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

[oldiebutgoodie, RN]

I have a question. I totally support the strikers, and I think they are striking for all of us. But my question is, how does Tenet even get anybody to work there? Did they take over a hospital that these folks previously worked at? If you are in a big city with lots of hospitals, why not go to a different hospital?

Again, I am not disrespecting the strikers. I think they are GREAT. I'm just curious.

Oldie but goodie

[-jt]

#1. they live in the community and have a committment to being able to provide it with safe care. They may need that care someday themselves.

#2. if one facility gets away with it, all the rest in the area follow suit. By running away, we are allowing the facility carte-blanche to make the cuts it wants & lower the standard for staff nurses in the whole area. Just leaving and letting the employer get away with this causes a domino effect in the whole area and only defeats ourselves because pretty soon every facility in the area follows that one's lead and does the same thing (they call it "staying competitive") -- and then we have no place else to run to -- except out of the profession. And only ourselves to blame for allowing it to happen.

#3. By taking a stand and improving the working conditions at this facility, you end up improving the conditions at facilities all around it because those others will have to "stay competitive" if they want to keep their own staff from running to the place with the better working conditions. Those facilities then usually end up improving things on their own without a strike, so they can keep their nurses. Thats how it happens that those nurses striking at that one place are really doing it for all staff nurses in the area.

[RNPD]

Originally posted by XtREmeRN

This bulletin board is a sad reminder of how much work needs to be done in educating our own.

I couldn't agree more. But I believe it is you that needs educating. Until major changes are made, the profession will do a good job of that the longer you remain at the bedside.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Oh MY

Lets start chanting THE MANTRAS OF PROUNIONISM.

SOLIDARITY FOREVER

HATE ALL SCABS

BE ONE WITH THE FORCES AGAINST THE EVIL ADMINISTRATIONS

STRIKING IS ACTUALLY A FORCE OF GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

DOO WAH DITTY

I got to admit I love it.

[RNPD]

I'll repeat here what I said on the post "Should nurses be allowed to strike?" I hope someday you won't personally regret your selfish attitude. I'll also repeat for you the following-since you are someone who fits the sentiment exactly:

Originally posted by XtREmeRN

This bulletin board is a sad reminder of how much work needs to be done in educating our own.

Originally posted by RNPD

The problem with leaving and going elsewhere if a facility won't meet your demands is that it weakens the local community hospitals where most of us and our families go for our own care. If every nurse selfishly leaves for a better deal, the hospital staffing will remain poor and this poor care is what WE get when we need hospitalization. Also, most places tend to meet the lowest common denominator, and after a while all the hospitals in the area will allow increasingly poor care with dangerous low staffing/salaries/bennies because they figure if the hospital down the road gets away with it, we can do it too and boost our profits. It's a snowball effect; pretty soon there will be NOWHERE else to go. That same snowball effect works for unionized facilities-pretty soon all the hospitals in the area need to match the staffing/salaries/benefits or they won't be able to recruit/retain staff. Again a snowball effect.

So when we say that unionized nurses are striking for all of us-it's the truth. And when we say that scabs undermine this effort by looking out only for number one-again, the truth. So you will have only yourself to blame if someday you or a loved one are on the receiving end of poor care due to the above issues and that lack of care leads to serious complication or even death.

The rest of us will continue the fight for ourselves, our profession, and our patients.

[pickledpepperRN]

Originally posted by oldiebutgoodie

I have a question. I totally support the strikers, and I think they are striking for all of us. But my question is, how does Tenet even get anybody to work there? Did they take over a hospital that these folks previously worked at? If you are in a big city with lots of hospitals, why not go to a different hospital?

Again, I am not disrespecting the strikers. I think they are GREAT. I'm just curious.

Oldie but goodie

I have worked at my hospital for a looong time.

I had a second per diem job at a very good hospital for a couple years. There was a special kindness amonst everyone there. I gave notice when it was announced Tenet would be taking over.

Many staff have worked there their entire career, many more than thirty years. They never thought about a union until now.

I truly care about my former co workers, but not enough to live with the ethical dissinance Tenet creates.

[gingerzoe]

I would like xtreme to write back after working at least one full year in nursing and see what her view is then.

[SnowymtnRN]

Originally posted by gingerzoe

I would like xtreme to write back after working at least one full year in nursing and see what her view is then.

Well said. Its amazing the "new nurses" who think everyone else is a mean bully out to screw them.

[itsme]

I work in a unionized facility and thank goodness we havent had to strike. What people should realize is that it isnt only about money- when we talk contracts we talk about safe working conditions, health insurance, job security, seniority (this makes the newbies mad) employee rights and the list goes on and on. I would not be ashamed to strike if it came to that. I hope it never does, but who knows. A nurse on strike is not a bad nurse or anyone to be ashamed of. If anything the original poster should be ashamed for viewing an entire group of different individuals the same, hey, that is sort of like racism.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Originally posted by itsme

I work in a unionized facility and thank goodness we havent had to strike. What people should realize is that it isnt only about money- when we talk contracts we talk about safe working conditions, health insurance, job security, seniority (this makes the newbies mad) employee rights and the list goes on and on. I would not be ashamed to strike if it came to that. I hope it never does, but who knows. A nurse on strike is not a bad nurse or anyone to be ashamed of. If anything the original poster should be ashamed for viewing an entire group of different individuals the same, hey, that is sort of like racism.

or stereotyping, as she accused another person of doing in another thread. nah, couldn't be.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Hello itsme

When you talk about health insurance, job security, senority , etc that really translates into a money issue.

Ive never said that nurses shouldnt be allowed to strike, Reminds me of my younger days, protesting the Viet Nam war, Thats Viet Nam and not the civil war, yall. And also protesting other issues, I stll have some scars from those good old days.

However to say that striking nurses benefit all of nursing is incorrect.

To say that striking nurses motives are purely noble and self sacrificial is incorrect.

To say that striking nurses are out for better patient care issues, is incorrect. Patient care issues are the first issues dropped in negotiations, the bottom line is MONEY. Always has been and always will be.

Do striking nurses represent the issues important to me, no no no., Only I can represent the issues and concerns important to me.

This comes from an very ex union person

dont forget

doo wah ditty

[gingerzoe]

dear teeituptom,

I would be interested to know where you use to work and where you work now.

Do you feels nurses are adequately paid? Yes, it may come down to money, but there are more professions out there that get paid a heck of alot more than nurses do. Hence, the nursing shortage? Maybe young people today want to be compensated for the work they do?