As mentioned in the Washington Post article, management is requiring all RNs to report to work today whether or not they're scheduled to determine who is striking. Management has stated that nurses who do not report to work and "check in" will be assumed to be striking and will not be allowed to return to work until Wednesday, March 9. I'm not scheduled to work until this weekend, and am unsure whether to go in today. I'm hesitant to put myself into a situation where I am asked to work unscheduled overtime with replacement nurses unfamiliar with my unit, the hospital, or our patient population. I spoke with a co-worker this morning and was told that unit leaders and managers will supervise the replacement RNs, but will not be providing patient care. Likewise, I do not want to place myself in a situation where patient safety or my safety could be compromised, nor do I want to face the hostility of the picket line. Since our affiliation with NNU last fall, union members have been very assertive in their displeasure with WHC's management as well as stalled contract negotiations. In recent weeks, I had to ask some NNU members to back off and stop contacting me because the information flood from NNU and WHC management was overly stressing me and giving me a headache. I feel like whatever I decide, I'll have to deal with hostility from either NNU or WHC management. I do not completely agree with either side, but I strongly feel like something must change, as the hospital has been moving in a downward spiral for several months. We're losing our credibility as well as excellent, qualified nurses who have had enough.
My friends and colleagues are divided regarding their decision to strike. I respect those nurses who feel they have no choice but to cross the picket line because they're their family's sole breadwinner. Few of these colleagues are happy with the tone of our work environment, but they can't afford to lose a week's pay. While I disagree with upper-level management's unilateral, sudden policy changes and their sometimes unfair treatment of nurses during my employment, I like my immediate managers and have a positive relationship with them. I know that my unit will not have a complete walkout, and I do not want to burn bridges with my managers if I'm among the striking nurses.
If I choose to strike, I will miss two days of work (which I can live with financially), have a few days to clear my head, and feel good about sticking it to WHC management. One of our nurses was recently quoted as comparing our situation to domestic violence, which I found to be somewhat extreme, but I agree with the principle: If you are living or working in an unsafe situation, you must leave and demand better treatment. For me, the strike isn't about money. It's about standing up for what's right and fixing what is lacking in my work environment: adequate, consistently safe staffing based on patient acuity and management's respect and recognition for the challenging work we do.
On the other hand, I may lose the favor of my managers and, while unlikely, have a nagging feeling that if not all nurses walk out, striking nurses are setting themselves up for possible discipline. Some of you may dismiss my concern as ridiculous, but a quick Google search of "WHC fires nurses" will tell you that our RNs have been written up for "insubordination" and fired for legitimate reasons like not being able to drive to work in a snow catastrophe. However, I realize that while federal law states that it's illegal to fire striking workers, employers can legally replace them. While I'm not planning on keeping this job forever, it was my first RN position following graduation. It took several months and a significant relocation for me to find and begin this job. I'm not prepared to lose it, and do not want to jeopardize my employment status.
For those of you who have worked or not worked during previous strikes, any words of wisdom? What lessons did you learn? Any thoughts for or against strike participation? All perspectives are appreciated, but I ask that this please not turn into a flame war. This situation is stressful enough. Thank you for your feedback!
