Nurse Strike at MCP/Hahnemann???

Nurses Activism

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Heard a rumor about a nurse strike happening at MCP/Hahnemann on Tuesday November 11th. Did a Google search and found nothing, so I am asking if it true and any details.

Anyone willing to supply some info? Thanks.

--Caroline

Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Anyone heard any more details?

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Specializes in Home Health.

Today I heard something very diturbing and it has sparked quite the dinner conversation between my husband and myself.

I heard on the news that MCP has informed the nurses they must get bacl on the job in the next five days or they will lose their health benefits. :eek:

Obviously this means theirbennies are not thru their union, most unusual as far as my experiences have been and my hisband's w unions.

I say that even if the hospital is paying their bennies, the nurses have a right to organize and strike, and taking away their health bennies is like a retaliatory measure if you ask me. IT is not like they failed to show up, or failed to call out w/o notice, the hospital was given warning and had a back-up plan.

Hubby agrees that this is very unfortunate and that their union rep did them a huge disservice by not providing their bennies, but also pointed out that the hospital should not have to pay for bennies for people who are not working, since it is affecting their biz/income, etc... and technically the employees are not working and the cost of those bennies is high.

But aren't most employees alllowed a 2 month personal leave w/o having to cobra their bennies?? This seems just a tactic to punish the nurses and squeeze them where it hurts, esp single people, and single parents w kids, who have no other source for health benefits. In this day and age, who can possibly afford to be w/o bennies.

If I were one of those nurses, I would get another job now and forget about Tenet, they are truly evil and heartless.

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

Nurses go on strike over staffing, overtime

By Linda Loyd / Inquirer Staff Writer

11/12/03

More than 270 registered nurses at Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital went on strike early yesterday morning, temporarily blocking vehicles that brought in replacement nurses. ... nurses. In preparation for the work stoppage, MCP, a Tenet Healthcare Corp. hospital, ...

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/7239101.htm

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

I wish that they would call the strike breakers, just that, or scabs.

Most of us travelers won't and don't work strikes. I won't even work for agencies that receive any funds from strkebreaking.

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Specializes in Home Health.

Any news?? Haven't heard a peep about the strike on the news. Was it resolved??

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They're still striking. I live up the street from MCP and when I drove by this morning they had an enormous stuffed rat outside the hospital with a sign that read "Tenet greed".

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I am a nurse at MCP, and yes, we are on strike. Tenet has flown scabs from all over the country to man the hospital. The other union of ancillaries will be walking out on the 24th of November.

The contract was really sad. It was horrible. Nurses who have been there for years and years were in tears.

They want to be able to mandate us without restriction up to 16 hrs every time we work--with out financial compensation. THAT IS JUST UNSAFE! I am a mother with small children and I work nights-I frequently don't get to sleep before I go to work. They want carte blanche meaning that everytime I go to work, I could possibly end up staying until 3pm. As I said before, THAT IS JUST UNSAFE.

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One more thing, I read a couple of negative reports about MCP. I worked at a "magnent" hospital for 4 years before going to MCP and I can honestly say that MCP is equal if not arguably better with the quality of their nurses. Many of the staff nurses I work with are MSNs. Can you say that for your hospital?

But I will say that the magnent hospital's administration treated thier nurses much better.

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Oh my god, they wanted to mandate you without paying you for it?? How is that legal? I totally support why the MCP nurses are striking; I would never work at a facility with mandatory overtime. Good luck callacodebrown, I hope you all get the contract you deserve!

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I am also a nurse at MCP. Yes, the EPPI nurses are part of our union and also on strike. There are scab nurses crossing the picket line making BIG $$$. They are nurses from other states that don't care about this community. We have been on strike since 11/11 and it feels like 10 years already. We are outside 24/7 fighting for our cause in rain, cold and heavy wind. Safer Staffing levels and no mandation issues are our main fight. It is not easy to work 12 hours and barely get a pee break and to come to find out at the end of your 12 hour shift you have to stay another 4 hours. Then to return 10 hours later for your next shift. (They let you come in 2 hours late. . . how nice of them!!) It is not safe! It is getting to the point that I feel like I walk in the hospital at 7pm. . . hand them my license and hope at 7am I get it back. Tenet would also like to be able to cancel our shift at their will and we inturn take our vacation time! I could go on with the list of problems with this contract. To answer someone elses question, Tenet did take away our health insurance. It is easy for people to say just walk away and get another job after all nursing jobs are a dime a dozen. However, many of us care about our patients and the community we serve. This is not just a fight for nurses it is also a fight for our patients. I am proud to say I AM A NURSE AT MCP ON STIKE! I am proud of my fellow co-workers. We are Stong and United.

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Originally posted by callacodebrown

I am a nurse at MCP, and yes, we are on strike. Tenet has flown scabs from all over the country to man the hospital. The other union of ancillaries will be walking out on the 24th of November.

The contract was really sad. It was horrible. Nurses who have been there for years and years were in tears.

They want to be able to mandate us without restriction up to 16 hrs every time we work--with out financial compensation. THAT IS JUST UNSAFE! I am a mother with small children and I work nights-I frequently don't get to sleep before I go to work. They want carte blanche meaning that everytime I go to work, I could possibly end up staying until 3pm. As I said before, THAT IS JUST UNSAFE.

Oh, to hear that nurses who had been there for years were crying- that just breaks my heart.

I support our sisters striking at MCP.

Nurses give and give, and the hospitals take and take.

Imagine, nurses with masters degrees actually need to strike. Even a masters degree does not warrant respect as far as these hospitals are concerned.

Oh, it's so awful.

Praying for success for the striking nurses, and care for the pts.

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I just want to clarify. MCP is willing to pay us for our mandated time--straight time. Unless it is over 40 hrs/wk. But I am part-time...or at least I was under the old contract if you see what I mean.

They also had in the rejected contract that inorder to tap into our sick time we had to use 5 vacation days for sick time first.

If you want to help with our cause, we have an email set up [email protected]. They would really appreciate hearing from you.

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