Robert Wood Johnson Univ Hospital Nurses to Strike

Nurses Activism

Published

Registered nurses start strike August 24, 2006 at 7am at Robert Wood Johnson Univeristy Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ

Nurses reject contract proposal

Home News Tribune Online 08/17/06

By DAVID STEGON

STAFF WRITER

[email protected]

NEW BRUNSWICK-The Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital nurses union yesterday overwhelmingly rejected the hospital's latest labor contract offer, opening the door for a strike to begin at 7 a.m. on Aug. 24, according to union officials.

"The membership is sending a clear message to the hospital that health-care coverage is just substandard, and they won't accept it," said Jeanne Clark, a spokeswoman for the nurses union and a nurse at the hospital for 16 years. "We've got more work to do."

The nurses rejected the revised contract by a vote of 616 to 252, with one member abstaining.

The nurses rejected the hospital's original offer by a 765-165 vote on July 27.

just came back from interview in other hospital. found out their ratio is 1:6 same as we have in rwjuh, no drips, no end stage chf patients (cuz they get transferred to us for treatments), they have a monitor tech whose only job is to monitor patients tele/monitor, here in rwjuh we monitor our own patients' tele, 1 tech in every 8-9 patients, at rwjuh we have 2 techs(nursing assistant) for 31 patients, we take care of patients in drips like nitro, lidocaine, cardizem, dextran, dopamine, dobutamine, reopro, integrillin, heparin,natrecor etc. in our regular floor and cluster units ( patients do not qualify to transfer to a unit bed). at this hospital where i went for a job, these drips are considered unit drips where 1 rn takes care of 1-2 patients. so how super rns we are at rwjuh!!!!

Wish I lived near you to support the strike- so glad to read of the Unity among the nurses!!

Specializes in ICU, Cardiac Cath/EPS Labs.

Ask your Union if this is true: You have 30 days from Aug. 31 to decide whether to enroll in COBRA and, if you enroll, the coverage is retroactive to Aug. 31, so there will be no break in coverage...And COBRA--I think-- can be purchased one month at a time...I would feel uncomfortable going without insurance... Hang in there...

I think you should go with COBRA then if at all possible.

How DARE they!

You and your fellow nurses are in my prayers.

9/4 Update:

Candle light vigil and news conference tonight....another great turnout!! Looked like about 1000 of us. NJ State Senator Bob Menedez spoke as well as a couple of local assemblymen and other unions' reps. All were in strong support of our cause!! A news chopper was hovering during the event...not sure who it was. Some pics:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/clcrtrn/IM002024.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/clcrtrn/f34da685.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/clcrtrn/125330e1.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/clcrtrn/8fb442bc.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/clcrtrn/IM002022.jpg

Now we have some political clout with us...administration better take a good hard look and listen. Each day they loose more ground and money paying the scabs. Someone I work with, on the inside now, was told by a scab nurse that she is getting $150 an hour got a $3600 sign on bonus and can't wait to spend it on her vacation. Administration's priorities are so screwed up. In the end we will win.....

STILL STANDING STRONG!!!!!!

Specializes in er.

Hope your strike has been resolved. It has to be a lose:lose situation.but the patients are the biggest losers. I can only imagine the anger and sense of betrayal you feel. I was a nurse at a hospital that closed its doors and it wasn't a good time. I wish you luck at resolvinig the situation in a manner that is good for patients and nurses.

Striking nurses rally outside hospital

'People who come to the hospital with no insurance get better coverage than our members do," Collins said in an interview after the rally, which included speeches from labor leaders and politicians, including U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.).

Robert Wood Johnson officials countered that the plan offered is generous. The hospital has hired replacement workers while the strike continues.

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1157432973289480.xml&coll=1

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As Nurses Strike, Hospitals Pay Big For Replacements

...John Patella, a spokesman for Robert Wood Johnson, wouldn't say how many replacement nurses are at the hospital or how much the hospital is paying US Nursing...

http://online.wsj.com/google_login.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB115741935955453396.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsj

9/6 Update:

A large group of us attended a townhall type meeting at UMDNJ where Governor Corzine was the guest speaker. After a short speech about the University he opened the floor to questions. We were able to get 3 people in with questions before time ran out. We raised the issue of the strike and getting both sides back to the table. He said he would definitely do what was in his power to do so; he recognized the lack of communication and said that there were no winners at this point. He also admitted that things were not up to the standards we would provide if INSIDE where we belong; being a politician he played both sides of course saying that in any substitution situation things would not be the same, but the administration was doing the best that was possible. Communication, or lack of, was the biggest issue; he stated that he would get both sides together.

9/6 Update:

A large group of us attended a townhall type meeting at UMDNJ where Governor Corzine was the guest speaker. After a short speech about the University he opened the floor to questions. We were able to get 3 people in with questions before time ran out. We raised the issue of the strike and getting both sides back to the table. He said he would definitely do what was in his power to do so; he recognized the lack of communication and said that there were no winners at this point. He also admitted that things were not up to the standards we would provide if INSIDE where we belong; being a politician he played both sides of course saying that in any substitution situation things would not be the same, but the administration was doing the best that was possible. Communication, or lack of, was the biggest issue; he stated that he would get both sides together.

i just came from the town hall meeting at umdnj in stratford!

he did mention the strike! so it was still on his mind!

Corzine was more than happy to accept all the unionized votes he got to become Gov!! What a jerk! We found in our strike that the politicians were very wishy washy and wouldn't support one side over the other. Here is all I can advise after having been through it myself: Stay informed. Do not have blind faith in either side. The hospital and parent union both have their own agenda's and their own axes to grind. Keep asking questions, put Union leadership (parent union) on the spot and ask the tough questions of them too. The hospital is going to spin this to their favor. If people are foolish enough to believe that everything is perfect and risk going there during the strike that is their choice. Best of luck to them, they are going to need it! All of you on the line should find other jobs, per diem, agency, whatever you can find. It sounds like this isn't going to be over any time soon.

Congratulations to all of you who are still standing strong!!

I am following this with much awe - Good luck to all of you - Fight for your rights!

Corzine was more than happy to accept all the unionized votes he got to become Gov!! What a jerk! We found in our strike that the politicians were very wishy washy and wouldn't support one side over the other. Here is all I can advise after having been through it myself: Stay informed. Do not have blind faith in either side. The hospital and parent union both have their own agenda's and their own axes to grind. Keep asking questions, put Union leadership (parent union) on the spot and ask the tough questions of them too. The hospital is going to spin this to their favor. If people are foolish enough to believe that everything is perfect and risk going there during the strike that is their choice. Best of luck to them, they are going to need it! All of you on the line should find other jobs, per diem, agency, whatever you can find. It sounds like this isn't going to be over any time soon.

Congratulations to all of you who are still standing strong!!

oh yes, all those politicians who came to the labor Day candlelight vigil who " lent their support" used the strike for their own benefits. elections is coming soon. and they will need all the votes that they could get. In the meantime, most of the striking nurses have found jobs from other agencies, those who are not fortunate got shunned from nearby hospitals telling them" it is unethical for them (hospital) to hire these nurses". cuz these hospitals have good ties with RWJUH where they send their sickest patients and get proper treatments, again, with the skills of these nurses that they shunned. Im not sure if RWJUH retains its level 1 trauma because of the strike, and who administers the chemo medications in the cancer unit if the scab nurses are not certified in administering them? The OR is not functioning as it is... only about 30 cases are done everyday as supposed to 120-130.

Specializes in Case Management, Cardiac, ER.
The biggest issue is the penalties for not using RWJ for proceedures, admissions etc. and the lack of coverage for some sevices. Not only is there a deductable (reasonable enough), but there is a $800 penalty PER INCIDENT if RWJ is not used. Alot of nurses live 45 minutes to an hour away. It seems a bit insenitive and extreme to penalize valued employees so heavily for wanting to obtain health care closer to home. [/Quote]

Wow, Isnt it illegal for someone to tell you WHERE to go for healthcare.. I mean somewhere it states "you have the right to fair treatment regardless of race, age, sexuality," et. al. Its like they are dictating where these people can go and to me thats a form of communism. This is America, we have the right to choose WHERE we go and shouldnt be forced by limitation set by our providor nor should we be penalized for those decisions. Tell them to go to communist China if they want to be dictators.. This is America, Where freedom is a Right granted by the constitution. Good Luck to you all.

kyrnbsn

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