Strike nursing

Mister_Murse · Sep 26, 2018

trulefty-I think if you supported your nursing colleages- in celebrating their gains for their contract and strength in solidarity., You wouldn't even be asking your original question, nor would you be bouncing around the country HOPING for your next paycheck and figuring out how to weather the dry spells of unemployement. If nursing stood together and KEPT their nose in other nurses job politics; there wouldn't be uphill battles trying to hold on to salaries, benefits, retirements, safety standards of practice and staffing regulations. There might even be a narrower bridge in salary range from state to state, in stead of nurses in the south making $15-20/ $30,000- $40,000/yr and Calif @$100,000/yr. With the number of nurses in this country- if we all stood with each other instead of some against - corporate healthcare would not have gained it's abusive power. This upper hand is dangerous to nursing practice- as we have all come to see with this strike in Sutter. Corporate healthcare IS controlling our practice through staffing numbers and disciplinary actions. This upper handed bullying cost a patient their life because an multimillion dollar BOOB/Ass++++ with no nursing knowledge, no Nursing or medical license gave the OK to hire a new inexperienced nurse( I'm sure this was not the only one on this assignment) from a nursing agency that he didn't check out for creditiblity,and didn't have a clue how to go about checking competency or even what the competencies were or should be - just "get me "x" # of nurses fast, the cheaper the better" and as a result, his poor judgement, poor leadership, lack of nursing knowledge and expertise caused a sentinel event that he will worm his way out of. He too is in way over his head. These MBA's( if he is even that) DO NOT belong in healthcare. This insident is a perfect example.
If nurses stood together there would be no exploitation of a licensed inexperienced nurse(s) Shows all right there how corporate healthcare devalues the license of a nurse. This exploitation has happened more than with this strike. Look at all the complaints and posts here on this site of new grads and older nurses being terminated/fired for going to lunch, not reporting off, clocking out issues, not documenting in 300 places, and any other 'crack head charges' these ding-a-lings can think of. There wouldn't be so much job dissatisfaction. The patient/nurse ratios wouldn't be stretched to the limit. Nursing management would be held accountable for thier hiding in their office while these practice and staffing issues were occuring. Nurses wouldn't be handed early retirement packages at the ripe old age of 50(yes, I said 50 not 65). Corporate healthcare is ignoring the federal Labor laws (not just collective bargaining agreements but Federal Government Labor Laws). They are making this country unrecognizable, setting it back decades for their own personal greed and arrogance- they want to play God. Couldn't make it in med schoolor nursing so they are going to take the patient care decision making power away from those of us who did.
Nursing would be treated like licensed professionals instead of "a dime a dozen" and we may even be able to get rid of the multi million dollar CEO and his board of mistrustee and board of dicktaters that are sucking the healthcare system's funds dry. Hospitals might not have to close due to lack of funds. One employee might not be collecting millions in a salary each year and that money could be put back into the healthcare sysytem. There may even be access to care when people have the begininning stages of illness instead of waiting for disease to progress to 'can't ignore' level. Your looking for strike work keeps feeding a very diseased greedy machine at a lot of peoples expense.
The answer to this- Maybe MR CEO should learn how to get along with his co-workers(his nurses) and be a team player.
No, Mr Fry, I don't live in California- I live on the opposite coast. We have your kind over here too - so fire me!!!!!!!!!!:D:D I work for the federal government- Mr Obama is my boss.:lol2::lol2:

I just want to point out that no one should be praising California for its wages or unionized nursing. You do realize that the poverty line in the SF Bay Area (where the highest wages are often misquoted across the country as a reason why 'x' nurses aren't being paid fairly) rests at around $125,000/year, right?

The RN wages in California are meaningless when comparing them to other states. In SF Bay Area, average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment is between $3,500 and $4,500 per month. Average starter home? $1.5 million! Do you know what you'd need to earn (after taxes) to finance that type of rent or mortgage in California? Hint: it's way beyond what you can earn as an RN.

Stop glorifying California and its 13.5% state income tax rate - no one seems to mention the high taxes when they are quoting what the nurses make out there. It's completely useless to make references to what nurses make in California when bad mouthing how little they make in 'x' state when you factor in the high cost of living (and taxation) that California imposes on its residents.

Signed,

an ex-California RN

ArmyRntoMD, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2019

So if people don’t work while other nurses are striking- who takes care of the patients? The very reason we claim to come to work?

ArmyRntoMD, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2019

That’s a fine opinion but I don’t understand the people mad at “scabs”. Do they want the patients to be nurse less?

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2019

2 hours ago, ArmyRntoMD said:
So if people don’t work while other nurses are striking- who takes care of the patients? The very reason we claim to come to work?

As an administrator I have survived a few strikes. The patients are cared for by non union licensed personal and agency personal that were contracted under full disclosure that they were staffing for a strike situation. The agency nurses are well paid. This is, of course, a great expence to the hospital and is therefore incentive to settle the contract.

I never thought I would be in support of nurses having a union but the behavior of current administration I think it is the only way for nurses to survive.

First responders, firefighters, and police collective bargain, a polite term for union, protecting them from poor insurance coverage, temporary or permanent job caused injury salary protection with many other protections of income as well as retirement pensions.

I see no reason why nurses should not expect to be given the same protections and benefits.

ArmyRntoMD, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2019

Dang right the pay is good. I’ve had offers for up to 4,000 a week.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2019

5 hours ago, ArmyRntoMD said:
That’s a fine opinion but I don’t understand the people mad at “scabs”. Do they want the patients to be nurse less?

Of course not...however once administration spends the money on agencies they become less likely to negotiate. That is until the agency become cost prohibitive.

A suggestion...read up on union history, why and how they began, and why they were necessary. Nursing is in a sad place for staffing, benefits, and no pensions.

ArmyRntoMD, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2019

My state of Louisiana doesn’t have unions and I’m making out like a bandit. Name another field where I could make 66k annually and be enrolled in premed full time? I feel extremely blessed.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2019

5 hours ago, ArmyRntoMD said:
My state of Louisiana doesn’t have unions and I’m making out like a bandit. Name another field where I could make 66k annually and be enrolled in premed full time? I feel extremely blessed.

I am guessing that the US Armed Services are helping in the cost of your education. I agree that other fields don't offer shift scheduling and good pay which does make nursing a flexible asset when going to school. The state you live in helps you make "out like a bandit" as the cost of living determines how far your dollar stretches. I am curious however that if you are "making out like a bandit" why are you leaving such a lucrative position?

I was unable to definitively find the presence of any unions in your state. I admit I was, at one time, opposed to nursing unions. As time passed by I saw salaries begin to decline. I saw benefits being blatantly taken away. I saw staffing begin to return to the days when I graduated (yes there were hospitals in prehistoric times) and there was one RN, one LPN (if you were lucky a second LPN for half a shift) three aids and one orderly on a thirty five bed surgical unit when ALL patients were open (no scopes) with a terrifying array of tubes and drains on EVERY patient. We fought so hard for primary care nursing but we were punished for our efforts by losing the LPN's. Now we have patient ratios in non union facilities (generally....there is always an outlier) 6 to 7 patients on days to every RN and there is usually never enough CNA's on the floor.

In the Midwest the union hospital RN's were not represented by nursing bargaining and I did not approve of unions. When I moved to the Northeast I watched the state nursing organization become the collective bargaining union and I found with the increasing disparaging treatment of nurses that unions are the future. The average salary working in Boston with days and no weekends is greater than or equal to $100,000.00.

I do agree with you.....those of us in the nursing profession are TRULY BLESSED.

ArmyRntoMD, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2019

1 hour ago, Esme12 said:
I am guessing that the US Armed Services are helping in the cost of your education. I agree that other fields don't offer shift scheduling and good pay which does make nursing a flexible asset when going to school. The state you live in helps you make "out like a bandit" as the cost of living determines how far your dollar stretches. I am curious however that if you are "making out like a bandit" why are you leaving such a lucrative position?
I was unable to definitively find the presence of any unions in your state. I admit I was, at one time, opposed to nursing unions. As time passed by I saw salaries begin to decline. I saw benefits being blatantly taken away. I saw staffing begin to return to the days when I graduated (yes there were hospitals in prehistoric times) and there was one RN, one LPN (if you were lucky a second LPN for half a shift) three aids and one orderly on a thirty five bed surgical unit when ALL patients were open (no scopes) with a terrifying array of tubes and drains on EVERY patient. We fought so hard for primary care nursing but we were punished for our efforts by losing the LPN's. Now we have patient ratios in non union facilities (generally....there is always an outlier) 6 to 7 patients on days to every RN and there is usually never enough CNA's on the floor.
In the Midwest the union hospital RN's were not represented by nursing bargaining and I did not approve of unions. When I moved to the Northeast I watched the state nursing organization become the collective bargaining union and I found with the increasing disparaging treatment of nurses that unions are the future. The average salary working in Boston with days and no weekends is greater than or equal to $100,000.00.
I do agree with you.....those of us in the nursing profession are TRULY BLESSED.

I’m saving my GI bill to pay for med school. And it’s not a financial decision. Imo it’s poor financially but I am not satisfied- I feel like I can achieve more. I’m really enjoying physics, biochem, and organic and feeling satisfied in a way I don’t intellectually with nursing.

In Louisiana the average single income is 46,145. This is less or about equal than we typically make straight out of school only working 3 days a week (and who only works 3 days a week unless they’re in school like me). Soon as you pick up that 5th or 6th day a week you’re easily making six figures which is pretty good in Louisiana. I’m definitely financially better off than my non medical friends.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2019

5 hours ago, ArmyRntoMD said:
I’m saving my GI bill to pay for med school. And it’s not a financial decision. Imo it’s poor financially but I am not satisfied- I feel like I can achieve more. I’m really enjoying physics, biochem, and organic and feeling satisfied in a way I don’t intellectually with nursing.
In Louisiana the average single income is 46,145. This is less or about equal than we typically make straight out of school only working 3 days a week (and who only works 3 days a week unless they’re in school like me). Soon as you pick up that 5th or 6th day a week you’re easily making six figures which is pretty good in Louisiana. I’m definitely financially better off than my non medical friends.

We are veering off topic a bit and I know the feeling of wanting more of the "guts" so to speak of medicine and so does my daughter who (mom pride moment) graduated last year RN BSN Magna cum laude.

Back to unions.....

A forty year career in nursing taught me, in general, nurses look for representation of any kind when they feel they are being marginalized, poorly treated, and the big reason.....When they feel the they "ARE NOT BEING HEARD". Could you imagine if nurses, like fire/first responders and police, spoke with one voice. I think we could be heard and ensure a safe productive workforce for all.

The terms scab for crossing picket lines are pretty historical and I found more common in different parts of the country. When I was a little girl my Cousins, Uncles....family and friends manned the picket lines with shotguns. Unions have fallen from popularity now my cousins have to work harder for less money and a cut in Black Lung protection and pensions.

It makes one think.

ArmyRntoMD, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2019

I’m not against unions, but often the unions are there to protect the unions. They start off good, but then they are concerned about their own survival. Just like a corporation or government.

I’m simply happy without a union. And if they made me strike I’d say you go work travel.

ArmyRntoMD, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2019

On 9/26/2018 at 2:15 PM, Mister_Murse said:
I just want to point out that no one should be praising California for its wages or unionized nursing. You do realize that the poverty line in the SF Bay Area (where the highest wages are often misquoted across the country as a reason why 'x' nurses aren't being paid fairly) rests at around $125,000/year, right?
The RN wages in California are meaningless when comparing them to other states. In SF Bay Area, average rent for a 1 bedroom apartment is between $3,500 and $4,500 per month. Average starter home? $1.5 million! Do you know what you'd need to earn (after taxes) to finance that type of rent or mortgage in California? Hint: it's way beyond what you can earn as an RN.
Stop glorifying California and its 13.5% state income tax rate - no one seems to mention the high taxes when they are quoting what the nurses make out there. It's completely useless to make references to what nurses make in California when bad mouthing how little they make in 'x' state when you factor in the high cost of living (and taxation) that California imposes on its residents.
Signed,
an ex-California RN

You contradict yourself. In one breath you say all RNs across America should make close to same wages, but on the other hand you say California’s high wages are offset by super high cost of living.

THEN.... doesn’t it make sense that nurses make different wages in areas with different costs of living...?

correction- didn’t realize you were replying to another post. I read it all together. I agree mister murse!

Also I’m prior law enforcement. I don’t like the fact that they “speak with one voice”. It was an unhealthy us vs them mentality that partially caused me to leave it.