KROGER'S ON STRIKE - - 3 states involved- - guess what they want???

Sheri257 · Dec 31, 2003

Originally posted by [email protected]
Is there any other kind of union leadership? I would devote the rest of my useful life to any union which truly supported the rank and file. Sadly, I doubt that any such entity will ever exist.

Show me the union that stands behind staff nurses and I'll work with them forever. So far all the union has shown me is that they're the ones who show up with the Surgilube (or K-Y) just in time for my next SCR*W J*B)!

Someone needs to start a new thread. I would do it, but I do not know how. The thread should be called, "Nursing Unions--a solution or just another problem?" :kiss

You've got point there. I've seen bad unions, and I've seen good ones. The last union I worked for (non-nursing) sold out the entire membership so that the union bosses could get huge pay bonuses and benefits from the company. :devil:

Because of this, I'm still skeptical of CNA out here in California. BUT, they did just negotiate a pretty good pay package for the only unionized hospital in my area. And they are now the only hospital that pays well --- because of the union.

Most of the hospitals here are so cheap that half of the nursing graduates commute a half hour away for better jobs. These are the same hospitals that subsidize the nursing school, since they do need more nurses, but they still refuse to pay competitive wages.

The union was the only thing that changed this and, of course, the hospital fought like hell against it --- but they couldn't afford the strike.

So I'm willing to gamble on CNA for now. But if I start seeing the same things I've seen with other unions, I'm outta there.

fiestynurse · Jan 1, 2004

This is a somewhat late reply to the post regarding Howard Dean and his view on nursing and health care.

Dr. Dean has said that, as president, he would sign a single payer (National Health Insurance) bill if it made it to his desk. But whoever is president, a single payer bill will never pass Congress without overwhelming public support. That won't happen until the

public really understands the various options.

In addition, the SEIU recently came out in full support of Howard Dean for President. The SEIU is the union of choice for many RNs here in California. They consider Dr. Dean to be very pro-nursing. He made a statement against mandatory overtime for nurses and supported a national bill banning it in all states.

By the way, the CNA and SEIU in California have just joined forces. Their vision is to have a statewide union for all California nurses!

pickledpepperRN · Jan 2, 2004

We all need to eat.

People need to earn enough to live and support themselves and a family in the community where they work.

We all may need healthcare.

Perhaps the corporations that promised health insurance when the workers were hired could choose to either continue to pay it and/or work for universal healthcare?

Why would a person work at a supermarket and still eed food stamps and Medicaid?

Is that the American way?

cannoli · Jan 2, 2004

Originally posted by spacenurse
We all need to eat.
People need to earn enough to live and support themselves and a family in the community where they work.
We all may need healthcare.

Perhaps the corporations that promised health insurance when the workers were hired could choose to either continue to pay it and/or work for universal healthcare?

Why would a person work at a supermarket and still eed food stamps and Medicaid?
Is that the American way?

There are people in the US military that have to rely on food stamps. Talk about the American way.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 2, 2004

I work in healthcare and can't afford health insurance.

fergus51 · Jan 2, 2004

Originally posted by LPN2Be2004
I work in healthcare and can't afford health insurance.

And don't you think that is completely stupid? I think every person who puts in an honest weeks work should be able to get sick without worrying about the money it will cost to seek treatment.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 2, 2004

It is, and i make too much money for any of the community sliding-scale services around here (i pay the FULL bill, and i'm still working on some sort of break), but that's what i get for being a single childless female. I MAKE too much. HA! Never know it from my end!

Now back to my plain macaroni, since the cheese food is a luxury nowadays.

pickledpepperRN · Jan 3, 2004

I was able to work for minimum wage, pay rent, have health insurance (from the job) and have enough food to eat in 1963. With a room mate there was money for concerts, movies, and paperback books.

NOW the minimum wage is not enough to support one person.

Something is wrong!

I am not surprised, but am terrified for those who work in healthcare and have no insurance.

Cannot afford cheese for crying out loud.

Anyone wonder why some people deal drugs?

OC_An Khe · Jan 3, 2004

Whether the strike over new contributions to the cost of healthcare is warranted depends on many factors but essentially it is about compensation. Never a good reason to strike as there will always be an economic winner and loser which can be predicted in advance. That said, if the majority of the earners are in the lower payscales then a new co-pay can be quite burdensome. In that case they are not striking over the co-pay but quite possibly to their health coverage in total.

One way employers can reduce their health care expenses is by asking employees to contribute to that cost. Another way is to reduce the number of lives covered, in this instance increasing the costs to low paid workers can cause it to become unaffordable, thereby decreasing the overall number of covered employees and hence the expense to the company goes down.