Strike Nursing

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Does anybody tried strike nursing? You would be required to fill in vacant positions by the striking staff in a facility while a strike is ongoing. Your job ends when the strike has been settled and regular staff goes back to work.

Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

I would like to reply in a flame like manner to your post and fill my response with lots of colorful language that would attract the attention of the moderators and lead them to the impression I am not the professional I claim to be. Please review the many threads on nursing and unions before you commit to being a strike breaker. I'm not sure that is a role you would want no matter what the pay.

Specializes in Neuro ICU, SICU, MICU.

What areas normally do the strike? Just curious. I mean I know its not the whole Califronia state or something. What criteria do they use to pick which area will strike versus the other? (if you guys know) :smackingf

What areas normally do the strike? Just curious. I mean I know its not the whole Califronia state or something. What criteria do they use to pick which area will strike versus the other? (if you guys know) :smackingf

Nurses are usually called by an agency contracted by the hospital to fill in possible vacancies when the employees go on strike. Vacancies can be in any area and the strike will last from one day to several days. The agency will know which areas or specialty they need to fill in based on what the hospital needs.

I just ended my travel assignment when they called me a month ago for a Northern California strike scheduled first week of June. Fortunately, the management and the employees settled amicably and the strike got settled end of May.:yeah:

Specializes in ICU Neuro.
Seems to me that crossing a picket line working as a scab would not be supporting the cause of the striking nurses.

I am sorry, I don't mean this to seem "troll," but strike nursing is acceptable for a few reasons. First of all, the hospital can not endure the added expense forever, so is does not hurt the striking staff. Second, strike nurses have been used as a defense to striking nurses in abandonment cases. Third - and by far the most important - strike travellers provide care to patients who deserve it, during times of labor negotiation. Please never lose sight of that fact. For if you do, you will not have a job for unions to exploit or stike against.

"Sorry, troll popped out at the end."

I know the hospitals being struck could easily transfer their patients

I don't know about that. If it's a medium to large size facility it might be a challenge to transfer all of their patients. Also, some hospitals are in relatively remote locations. You might be talking a lot of man power and resources to move these patients. It could be a major drain on EMS resources.

Specializes in SICU, NICU, CCU, CIC, ICU, MICU.

First off "crossing the picket line" does not encourage the facility to ignore the problem. The amount of money they pay to these RN's and the agency sending them is alot. Whatever the RN is making at the agency is making at least that much. Therefore it is not good for their bottom line to continue to pay this. So actually working as a strike nurse in no way hurts the cause of the striking RN's. Second how many hospitals have you ever worked at with enough open beds to absorb the complete census of another hospital? I would be willing to bet none so transfering all the pts before a strike would a logistics nightmare and in all likelyhood endanger many pts.

Specializes in OB.

This is a common rationalization used by strikebreaking nurses (If I were feeling "trollish" I would use another term for them). Hospitals generally participate in an insurance pool which kicks in when nurses go out on strike - paying for the strikebreakers does NOT impact the hospital financially. The care of patients too unstable or specialized to move is covered under union policy which allows the necessary nurses to cross the picket line for work shifts. One might also say that the administration of these hospitals is impacting patient wellbeing by refusing to negotiate before the strike action.

No matter what excuses are presented, strikebreakers are in it strictly for their own financial benefit and I for one would have more respect for those who just admit it and quit trying to whitewash their motives.

Specializes in SICU, NICU, CCU, CIC, ICU, MICU.

Ok so take, lets say, $80 an hour for a strike RN (thats including what the agency makes). For 24 hours. Then multiply that by however many days the strike lasts. Now multiply that by however many strike RN's it takes to cover the hospital. Yup there is no way that would have any financial impact on a facility(dripping with sarcasm, incase you missed it).

Specializes in OB.
Ok so take, lets say, $80 an hour for a strike RN (thats including what the agency makes). For 24 hours. Then multiply that by however many days the strike lasts. Now multiply that by however many strike RN's it takes to cover the hospital. Yup there is no way that would have any financial impact on a facility(dripping with sarcasm, incase you missed it).

Did you read my post above? I believe it explains in pretty simple terms where the money comes from for the scabs (not sarcasm, just plain language). Not the hospital budget or the pocket of the CEO.

(Note to moderators - no it's not a polite term - but legitimate when you can get to lists of strikebreaking jobs at a site called scab.org.)

Specializes in SICU, NICU, CCU, CIC, ICU, MICU.

I bet they print that money in the basement of the hospital. It doesn't matter if the money comes from insurance or the hospital. Ultimately someone is responsible for it. It doesnt grow on trees. So you can bet that whoever is providing the money to pay the "scabs"(call them what you want I dont care, im not one of them) Sooner or later they will want the matter resolved b/c that is at least twice the daily operating costs of the hospital. Ultimately its unimportant where it comes from. Whoever is providing it will not want to do it forever.

Specializes in ER, Pedi ER, Newborn Nursery/NICU, DI.

If anyone wants info on strike nursing or states that might - http://www.usnursing.com is one the main strike/work action companies. My first travel assignment was actually a strike and it ended up getting resolved before the strike date. I had already flown to the area and was ready to work. The money was really good - fast cash and did no work. Plus, I got meet and talk to nurses all over the US and learned a lot of info. I understand while nurses strike but I am there to make fast cash.

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