6,500 Nurses to Go Out on Strike 09/20/19 in Four States

Nurses across the country have been demanding safer working conditions and better nurse-patient ratios. Today thousands of nurses are putting actions to their demands by walking out of their hospitals today in a 4-state strike.

6,500 Nurses to Go Out on Strike 09/20/19 in Four States

Registered nurses across the US will hold a one-day strike of their own demanding higher wages and better working conditions.

Over 6,500 registered nurses in hospitals in California, Arizona, Florida, and Illinois will strike on September 20 demanding higher wages and better working conditions. The strike will mark the first-ever nurse strike in Arizona, and the first hospital registered nurse strike in Florida's history.

Nurses who are part of the National Nurses United union are asking for better nurse retention and nurse-to-patient ratios. Most nurses who will be participating in the strike are employed with Tenet Healthcare, a multinational health-services company that operates 65 hospitals and 500 other healthcare facilities.

Nurses told Business Insider they have been negotiating with Tenet for a better contract for over a year and haven't received the concessions they demand. The union said that nurses have worked without a contract for two years in Arizona and under expired contracts for several months in California and Florida. Nurses also want lower nurse-patient ratios to improve the quality of patient care and prevent nurse burnout. Some hospitals are assigning twice the number of patients to nurses that research recommends.

2,200 University of Chicago Medical Center Nurses Walk Off the Job

Nurses working at the University of Chicago Medical Center plan to strike for five days in an effort to bring additional attention to their continuing struggle to get better nurse-patient ratios. About 2,200 nurses are expected to strike.

Wow, I'm in Illinois and had not heard this. Anyone participating? What's your facility's take on this?

https://www.businessinsider.com/nurses-to-go-on-strike-for-better-patient-ratios-2019-9

So here's an update:

From Illinois:

CHICAGO (AP) — "Nurses at University of Chicago Medical Center are holding a one-day strike following what they call a breakdown of contract negotiations between their union and the hospital.

The walkout began Friday morning, with nurses marching and chanting outside the hospital.

The 618-bed hospital prepared for a walkout by the about 2,200 nurses by diverting ambulances and moving patients. Although the nurses say the strike will last one day, hospital officials have told the nurses to stay away until Wednesday because temporary nurses have been contracted.

The walkout began Friday morning, with nurses marching and chanting outside the hospital.

The 618-bed hospital prepared for a walkout by the about 2,200 nurses by diverting ambulances and moving patients. Although the nurses say the strike will last one day, hospital officials have told the nurses to stay away until Wednesday because temporary nurses have been contracted."

https://qctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/nurses-hold--day-strike-at-university-of-chicago-hospital/article_fa1892c8-2311-5c36-aefd-2b190bba2d14.html

From Florida:

HIALEAH, Fla. (AP) — "Registered nurses staged a one-day strike against Tenet Health hospitals in Florida, California and Arizona on Friday, demanding better working conditions and higher wages as the nation's labor movement has begun flexing muscles weakened by decades of declining membership amid business and government attacks.

About 6,500 National Nurses United members walked out at 12 Tenet facilities after working toward a first contract for a year in Arizona and under expired contracts for months in California and Florida, the union said. They plan to resume working Saturday. Members also passed out leaflets in Texas, where contracts at two Tenet hospitals in El Paso expire later this year."

https://www.stltoday.com/business/national-and-international/nurses-staging--day-strike-at-hospitals-in-states/article_b86900c9-5800-564b-bdbe-1af836fcd8e7.html

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traumaRUs

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.

Holy gravy....the Tenet hospital "surgical" (I am assuming med-surg) ratio is EIGHT patients to one nurse.

I say it all the time....what we have is a shortage of nurses who want to work in the hospitals with conditions like that. Not a nursing shortage, at least here in the NTX.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Wow! Unimaginable!

To those nurses affected by the strike - how is it going?

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

Good. Something's got to give. I'm sickened by posts from new grads describing their relentless stress levels. It shouldn't be like that. Anyone expects a certain amount of stress when starting a new career. But the stress levels associated with nursing are driving good people away. Hospitals just keep piling the straws on the camel's back.

By the way, who are these temporary nurses filling in? Do they have the approval of the striking nurses, or are they undermining the strike?

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Right on! It's just too bad that nurses give notice of their intent to strike.

What really needs to happen is that Management gets caught with having to work the floors because of the nursing equivalent of "blue flu".

they need to feel the pain.

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1 hour ago, Kooky Korky said:

Right on! It's just too bad that nurses give notice of their intent to strike.

What really needs to happen is that Management gets caught with having to work the floors because of the nursing equivalent of "blue flu".

they need to feel the pain.

Now that would be outright scary. Patients still need care people cant just go missing. I get your sentiment though

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2 hours ago, TriciaJ said:

Hospitals just keep piling the straws on the camel's back.

Yes, it's because nurses are largely women. Hospitals have no repercussions when they are women. 'Just leave it for the nurse to do'. 'Add it to the nurses duties'. 'Add another blood pressure check to the nurse'. Women are inherently told to take it and be quiet.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I saw 8:1 on med surg and choked a bit. The NYT article about the strike stated that there is a 7% mortality rate increase for each patient above 4:1. Where I work it's 5:1 but with a lot of the patients being so sick with several co-morbidities, it feels like 7:1.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/us/nurse-strike.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.
12 hours ago, TriciaJ said:

Good. Something's got to give. I'm sickened by posts from new grads describing their relentless stress levels. It shouldn't be like that. Anyone expects a certain amount of stress when starting a new career. But the stress levels associated with nursing are driving good people away. Hospitals just keep piling the straws on the camel's back.

By the way, who are these temporary nurses filling in? Do they have the approval of the striking nurses, or are they undermining the strike?

Good question

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Other nurses who should strike are the ones in nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. The nurse patient ratio is horrible which leads to complaints and poorer outcomes for patients.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

We have two hospital systems where I live. One just settled a three year contract. This is resulting in that hospital actively recruiting me and others I am sure. Actually makes me a little mad at all the recruitment emails and even the occasional call since I never even received an interview on any floor back when I was actually wanting to work there.

The other hospital system is set to have a nurses strike since they have so far been unable to reach any kind of contract agreement. The strike vote was overwhelmingly approved. Their big asks are pay equal to the big metropolitan areas, better benefits and improved ratios. Gotta say I can't really agree with demands to increase pay to match the closest big city which is 150 miles away. First thing is the big city has a substantially higher cost of living. Other thing is they are certainly far enough away to have pretty minimal impact on the local job market.

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These fill in nurses crossing the picket line for $840 a day in Chicago. Good money now, but don’t let those 2200 nurses see your face. Don’t cross a picket line.

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