Potential strike in Michigan

313RN, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2010

I heard a rumor many months ago about an area hospital but nothing ever happened.

Given the state of the economy and the job climate it doesn't make a lot of sense for a union to agree to a strike. The unions know that every hospital in the area is struggling, public or private. They know jobs are on the line and, like everyone else in the state, know that the best they can do right now is to hang on.

Starting a protracted fight with an employer right now could concievably end up putting a hospital so deep in the red that a bankruptcy would be likely. That would give the hospital leverage in court to get an order allowing them to reduce pay for nurses and renegotiate a contract that is less favorable to the union.

The other possibility is that all the out of work and desperate nurses in the state cross the picket lines and effectivly break the unions back.

The purpose of a strike is to cause an employer discomfort. Causing them enough discomfort that they actually die doesn't do anyone any good at all.

My opinon is that unions will look to simply hold ground and maintain the status quo. You might even see some give backs, just like you saw for the last couple of years in the auto industry. Self-preservation is the priority for pretty much everyone right now.

Of course that's just my opinion and I could be way off base.

AnnaN5 · Feb 19, 2010

Possibly in the southwest corner of the state but we are hoping it doesn't come to that. :eek:

beachbum82 · Feb 20, 2010

i thought nurses were not allowed to strike?

313RN, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2010

I believe they are allowed to strike, although I don't know under what conditions.

Four or five years ago a hospital in the Traverse City (or somewhere near there) area was in a protracted strike with their nurses. Most nurses walked out and the Hospital started hiring scabs at very high rates of pay.

I wasn't an RN then, but I knew someone whose wife chose to go up there.

I don't know what the outcome of the strike was.

roma4204, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2010

It was Petoskey, not Traverse City...just didn't want to start a bad rep rumor :)

Sherman Foster · Mar 9, 2010

I live in Tampa, FL. and was looking for a nursing position in Michigan on 03/08/2010. I was on Craigslist and came across a listing for "Nurses needed in Michigan." It stated, That a lagre full care facility will be striking on March 19, 2010 and that they are in need of RN's and First assist Scrubs for all shifts. It also stated that they would be paying $40.00 per hour, pay for your nursing lic. if you where out of state, pay for housing, and relocation.

The company handling this is Huffmaster Inc.. I sent an email to them and they responded almost immediatley. They said the they could not tell me the name of the hospital, but it located in southwest Michigan and that it was due to a contract dispute with the labor force. The email also said to keep in mind that this is for a strike and they could not say how long the strike would last.

Hope this helps.

1RRRN · Mar 18, 2010

Is this Borgess, Kalamazoo? Huffman was making mass calling & offering $4400/week.

HyperSaurus, RN, BSN · Apr 1, 2010

The hospital in Petoskey had a RN strike for over a year in the early 2000s. From what I heard, it didn't end up working out well for the original RNs.

OBRNC51 · Apr 22, 2010

I heard rumor it was to be in Kalamazoo per the agency calling every nurse in the state. There is a contract being voted on soon in the Detroit area that does not look good and is being advised by the union to vote NO. There has been a history of strike at this hospital and the last one was horrible and nothing was solved and much was lost. If you want to make a fast buck, become a scab nurse--unbelievable pay!