Robert Wood Johnson Univ Hospital Nurses to Strike

[lee1]

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.

[nyforlove]

Hang in there!

[ironica01]

thanks

[gr8greens]

NEVER GIVE UP! We narrowly missed a strike here in NY last month. I thought most of us were fired-up and ready to walk......but DAMMIT...apparently the "majority" voted to accept our pi$$-poor contract. I thought we were so ready to go......seems like our union just gave-up and rolled over at the last minute. Those of us who want out of the union were told NO. We are bound until this new contract is up.

Those of us hurt the most are seriously looking into another union....one with ba!!s.

NEVER give up!

[gr8greens]

dbl post, sorry.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

update 8/30

Candelight vigil tonight in front of the hospital...close to 1000 showed up!! It was a very moving night; lots of support from people as they passed, beeping in spite of the "horn blowing prohibited" signs placed by the hospital. Family members leaving the hospital were beeping and raising victory signs as well!

some pics!!

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/clcrtrn/IM002001.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/clcrtrn/IM001990.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/clcrtrn/IM002004.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/clcrtrn/IM002006.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/clcrtrn/IM002003.jpg

The finger pointing has started a well; the hospital says in a recent article that union negotiators did not properly let the needs of the nurses be known to the hospital. A federal mediator is stepping in

http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060830/NEWS/608300378&SearchID=73255381022728

Another vigil Labor Day night...if in the area come by, show your support!!

STILL standing strong

I wish I lived somewhere near there! I'd be there supporting you guys! Good Luck!!!

Great photos BTW...

[PANurseRN1]

Cyber horn-honk!

[pickledpepperRN]

You nurses are united!

Good for you!

I'm praying for a good contract SOON!

With a great mediator your work can result in good.

[clcrtrn]

8/31 update:

because of the strike, our health insurance ends as of midnight tonight; unless we go with cobra or flip to a spouses coverage some of us will be in "health coverage limbo" until we negotiate a new contract. i myself will hang tough for the duration; it wouldn't make financial sense to go on my wife's plan at this time(i'd have to be on for the rest of the year) so while we negotiate i'll be sure to be extra cautious and stay healthy!

looking back on the past few weeks, the pieces start to fall into place. the hospital wanting to postpone our initial strike, the paltry offerings- all were calculated moves to put the strike at the end of the month in hopes that we would cross when the insurance ran out. we were 1000 strong on wednesday night and are ready to tough this out!! the sounds of 1000 voices screaming "we will not cross!" was up lifting.

friday morning we're tring to get as many nurses on the line to show administration that they were wrong in predicting that 250 would cross. so far only 40 out of 1300 have crossed!!

keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we get through the next few days until the federal mediator steps in next week.

in solidarity!!

[pickledpepperRN]

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

How DARE they!

You and your fellow nurses are in my prayers.

[ironica01]

those nurses who crossed the picket lines are not even full timers. they are per diem nurses who are getting paid double while we're on strike. one of my friends who is per diem in our floor went with us on the first day of the strike and didn't show up at work for 2 days that she supposed to work to show support. our head nurse had called her at home and reminded her that she is not part of the union and that she was marked absent on the days that she didnt show up to work. she was threatened to lose her job if she wont come to work so she did. one I know who crossed is a probationary who just started at her job.

I was told by one of the nurses whose son works with Corzine that Corzine cannot interfere with our strike because the issue is not "economic". hence, we' will wait for the federal mediator. About the fed. mediator I am not sure if this is true because what I heard the last time, the Union President himself is not sure about this. no one told him that a federal mediator will be coming to have the hospital and the union to sit down again and talk.

we're on our second week of strike. the hospital thought about 250-300 nurses will be crossing the picket line today because this marks our fist lost pay check. that the nurses won't be able to live without a paycheck. the thing they didn't know, most of the picketing nurses have found part time and per diem jobs around the area. THEY ARE WRONG AGAIN1

[ironica01]

for updates on RWJUH strike... go to www.usw4-200.org with pictures as well...see how united we are...

[ironica01]

The Filipino nurses who were rumored to be the first ones to cross the picket line has their own banner that says, "WE WILL NOT CROSS". there are about 300-400 nurses who work at RWJUH in different specialties.Again, the hospital administration was wrong again. It should be remembered that it was the Filipinos who invented the PEOPLE POWER when they overthrew their old dictator president back in 1986 by holding vigils, prayers and camping out.